I Think I'm Falling For You
by HbisYellow
Summary: When Jacob's sister, Melanie, decides to move back to La Push, she gives Paul a run for his money. It's hard to deal with an imprint but even harder to deal with an overprotective brother. PaulxOC there will be Bella bashing later. Fair warning.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: This is the third story that I'm transferring from my Mibba account. I originally wrote this about 5 years ago and in first person (big mistake). So now I'm rewriting it in third person and adding in some more details. Let me know what you think.**

Billy waited on his front porch with mild anticipation; one of his daughters was finally coming back home. He watched a few birds fly around a tree together before his attention was brought back to the road. A beat up, old taxi rambled down the gravel road and came to a creaky stop in front of his small, red house. Billy had to stop himself from holding his breath as he watched her climb out of the yellow cab. She was the splitting image of his late wife.

"Melanie Shea!" The young brunette turned and saw her dad calling her over. A smile covered his thin lips. She ran over to him and hugged him. He reached up from his wheelchair and hugged her back. It was so good to see him again; Melanie felt like it had been forever since the last time she'd seen him.

"Jake, get out here. Mel is here!" Billy yelled into his small house. A tall, tan boy ran out the door and stood, towering over Melanie. A look of surprise covered his face when his brown eyes met Melanie's.

"Hey little bro," she said softly. Jacob grinned and picked her up in his arms and spun her around. Melanie laughed when he put her back down. Getting over a small case of vertigo, she took in the sight of her younger brother.

Melanie was only a year older than Jacob, but the last time she was with him was when he was eight. She left with her mom's sister shortly after her mom died. Since then she's been in Chicago, but she recently decided to move back to La Push and live with her dad and brother after she graduated from high school.

"Hey Mel, I missed you so much," Jacob voiced, not used to having to look down at his sister.

"You don't even look like the cute little boy that I used to know. Look at you! You're huge…and buff!" She laughed happily. It was so nice to see her family again. Jacob had finally cut his hair; she used to tease him about his pony tails when they were younger. He'd grown into a young man while she was gone; it made her a little sad that she missed it all.

Jacob helped her carry in her bags and showed her to her old room that didn't look like it had been touched much at all. All the old pictures of badly drawn dogs and cats still hung on the walls, and an old, battered butterfly comforter was still covering her bed.

"Dad was pretty sad when you left so we never came in here really. Rebecca left soon after you did, and now she's married and lives in Hawaii along with Rachel." Melanie hadn't seen her older sisters in a long time either. She got the invite to the wedding, but she had exams that she couldn't miss.

"Don't just stand there! Help me unpack." She smiled. Jacob shook his head playfully and the two started unpacking all Melanie's things. She set up an art easel and all her supplies. Melanie planned on going to college somewhere close by and majoring in art or some kind of design.

"Wow," Jake mumbled. Melanie looked over to see what he was looking at and saw one of her drawings of Chicago. It was a simple charcoal pencil sketch of the city.

"That's the view from my old room in Aunt Misty's apartment overlooking the city," she explained. Jacob looked at it for a few more moments before unpacking the rest of her art. They both took down all the old pictures and hung up the new ones that had been framed with black coated wood. Melanie unpacked her clothes while Jacob redid the bed for her. He took off the butterfly comforter and put on a white downy comforter.

"The guys have been wanting to see you," Jacob said once they were done with the room.

"The guys?"

"Embry and Quil and a few others you have yet to meet," he answered. Melanie's heart clenched at the thought of Embry. They were extremely close as kids, and he was always her partner in crime. She regretted leaving as abruptly as she did.

"Well, let's go see them then!" Melanie led Jacob back into the living room where Billy was waiting. He had some ball game on but gave them his full attention when they walked in.

"Hey, Dad, Jacob wanted to take me to see a few of the guys, okay?"

"Go on! Everyone has missed you. Don't stay out too late; I want us to have dinner together," Billy said, sternly. Melanie nodded and kissed his forehead goodbye.

The two walked outside together, but Melanie didn't know where to go from there. Jacob saw her uncertainty and laughed.

"Come on!" Jacob started running. Melanie wanted to call out for him to slow down, but she didn't want to seem like she couldn't keep up with him. But man, that boy had gotten faster. They came to a stop in front of another small, cozy looking house. Melanie couldn't quite pinpoint whose it was though.

"They're all inside," Jake said as he let Melanie go inside first. They walked into the living room, and Melanie looked around at all the old and new faces. She saw Embry and almost lost it.

"Embry!" She screamed and pounced on him. The taller male easily caught her and was able to hide most of his shock from the sudden embrace.

"Melanie? Mel!" he shouted just as loud and hugged her back.

"Well, glad to know that you're more excited to see an old friend than to see your brother..." Jacob joked as he walked into the room.

"Oh hush, I was happy to see you too," Melanie chided and finally let Embry go. She took a seat right next to him on the couch and finally took in the other guys in the room. They all looked like Jacob, tall, buff and tan.

"Hey, everyone," she offered to the room. Quil cracked up laughing at the awkwardness. Melanie just rolled her eyes at him, but she couldn't help the small smile that graced her lips.

"Good to see you too, Quil," she remarked.

"Mel, these are my friends, Sam, Embry, Quil, Leah, Seth, Jared, and Paul." Melanie smiled at all of them. She looked at each of them, but when her eyes met Paul's, he looked pissed. His knuckles had turned white from gripping the sofa so hard. Melanie didn't know what she'd said to make him so angry, and she wanted to ask him what crawled up his ass.

"Paul," Sam said in a warning tone. Melanie broke their staring contest and looked over at Sam. He seemed to be a leader of sorts for Jacob's group of friends. Paul stood up and stormed out of the house.

"What's his problem?" Melanie asked Embry. He shook his head.

"That's just Paul. He's normally like that." Jared ran outside after Paul, and Melanie watched Sam pull Jacob aside and whisper something in his ear. Jacob's face went from relaxed to murderous in a few seconds. He was out the door right after Jared.

"Embry, what's going on?" Melanie asked, feeling pretty confused at that point. She didn't know if Paul was just bipolar or if something bad was actually happening.

"Nothing, he's just a kid trapped in an adult's body."

"Adult? How old is he?" she asked. He looked like he was fresh out of high school like she was. He couldn't be that old and still be Jake's friend...

"He just turned 22; the oldest besides Sam who is 23."

"I never would have guessed," Melanie mumbled and got off the couch. She walked towards the door to go find Jake, but Embry grabbed her arm and stopped her from going outside with the guys. That only made Melanie more confused.

"Let the guys sort everything out. We still need to catch up," he grinned, "How was Chicago?" he asked. Melanie completely forgot about the guys yelling outside. She told Embry all about her artistic skills and how she was applying to go to University of Washington once summer was over.

"So you want to go to U Dub for college, huh? I don't think I'm going to go. I'll probably just end up opening a car garage with the guys."

"No! Come to college with me! I don't want to be alone." Embry laughed at Melanie and ruffled her long brown hair.

She and Embry talked for a long time before a younger boy named Seth, and Quil joined in. Sam was still outside with Paul, Jared, and Jacob, which Melanie still didn't know what for. Seth's sister, Leah, ignored them and continued to watch TV. Melanie learned that Seth was the youngest of the big group of friends, at the age of 16. Then Jared, Jacob, and Quil were 17, Embry was 18, Leah was 20, Paul was 22, and Sam was 23.

"So why did you decide to move back to Forks?" Seth asked. There were a lot of reasons why Melanie wanted to move back. She just graduated high school and was missing her family, she broke up with her long time boyfriend, Chicago was a dangerous place to live, and she really just wanted a fresh start.

"I missed my family." She only gave one reason. Soon, Jake came back in the house with a scowl on his face.

"Come on, Mel. We need to get home before it gets too late," he said not looking at his sister but out the window instead. Melanie could tell whatever was going was really bothering him so she said her goodbyes to everyone so she could leave with him. When she walked back outside, she saw the other guys a few yards away.

"Bye guys! It was nice meeting you!" She called to them and waved. Sam and Jared waved back, but Paul still looked like someone killed his puppy. Melanie stopped walking and stared at him. She noticed how his body was slightly trembling; she couldn't take her eyes off him. It almost felt like she had some kind of pull in her chest that was drawing her to him.

"Melanie." Jacob took her by the arm and led her back to their house. Melanie kept glancing back over her shoulder to catch a glance of Paul. His face softened as she left, and she watched him bite his lip and look at the ground.

"So what's his story?" Melanie asked as they walked down the road. Jacob still had her arm locked with his.

"Nothing. I don't want you to go near him for a while. He's being moody right now, and he might take it out on you." He warned her.

"Okay, Jake." But Melanie had a feeling that she'd be seeing Paul soon enough.

 **A/N: Sorry if there are any grammatical errors. I proofread this pretty late... Leave reviews and let me know what you think!**


	2. Chapter 2

Melanie woke up the next morning to the sound of nothing. The sun came in through her window and gently woke her up. She was so used to the sounds of a big city that the sound of nothing was so strange to her. She took her time showing and getting ready for the day. The summer warmth made her pick out a pair of jeans shorts and a tank top. She slipped on her converse, grabbed her sketch book and went to find Jacob. Peeking in his room, she saw he was still asleep so she let him be.

The brunette walked down the hall and into the kitchen. Billy was sipping a cup of coffee and skimming through the newspaper.

"Watcha doing, Melbell?" he asked using an old nickname. Melanie smiled and gestured to her sketchbook.

"I was going to go for a walk and find something to draw. I want to explore La Push again. I'll be back later," Melanie explained, walking to the door.

"Take an apple with you!" he called. Melanie turned and catch the pink apple her dad tossed to her. Saying a quick thanks, Melanie bit into it and closed the front door behind her. It was still early, and it seemed like everyone was still snoozing. Melanie found a dirt path a little ways from her house and decided to take it.

After a few minutes of walking through the trees, Melanie sat down not caring about the dirt and opened her sketchbook. She looked around and started drawing the trees around her. She added in all the small flowers and insects her saw. It was a nice change to draw something other than buildings or cars. Chicago didn't have much greenery...

Melanie was about halfway done with the drawing when she was interrupted.

"You're good," he mumbled. Melanie looked over and shoulder and saw Paul watching her draw. She wanted to sign in relief that it was at least someone her brother knew and not a complete stranger.

"Jesus, you scared me. Paul? What are you doing here?" she asked, feeling that strange pull in her chest again. He shrugged his shoulders but made himself comfy next to Melanie on the ground.

"I was bored and went on a walk but saw you. Just decided to see what you were doing," he grumbled. Embry was right about him being a kid at heart. Melanie held a smile back while she watched Paul look all around them.

"How about you stay still and I draw you?" Paul raised an eyebrow but did so anyway. He leaned against a big rock and crossed his arms over his chest which was covered by a white, cotton v-neck. He stared off into space, and Melanie flipped to a new page and began to draw him.

"This could take a while," she informed him. He let out an airy chuckle; it's not like he had anywhere else to be today.

"So where did you move from? I kind of missed all that yesterday. Sorry, by the way, for being an ass." He apologized. Melanie grinned and worked on the rough outline of his body.

"It's fine. We all have those days. And I'm from Chicago." He was about to turn his head to look at her, but she stopped him.

"No, don't move or I'll have to start over," she threatened. Paul chuckled again but obeyed her orders. It was hard for him to not want to please her. They talked about everything. He's an only child, and he only has his mom left because his dad died a few years back. He'd always wanted to be a doctor, but he couldn't afford to go to any good colleges to get his degree so now he's working as a mechanic.

"Well, you already know my mom died because Jacob is my brother. I moved to Chicago with my aunt because I wanted to escape La Push. I felt suffocated at the time, and I wanted it to all go away so I just left. It was annoying how many people wanted to tell me they were sorry for my loss... I came back home for many reasons, one being I missed everyone. I'm going to U Dub in the fall for graphic design. I didn't know whether to major in that or art education, but I'm leaning more towards the first." Melanie put the finishing touches on the portrait of Paul and smiled.

"Okay, all done," she said and turned it around to show him. He stretched his long arms and crawled over to take a look at it.

"That's awesome. It looks just like me."

"Well that is the point of a portrait," Melanie laughed, causing Paul to playfully roll his eyes. She closed the book and set it down on a patch of grass next to her. The two were suddenly quiet, not knowing what else to talk about. Melanie had the sudden urge to reach out to Paul, but she didn't want it to come off awkward.

"I don't want to freak you out, but I really just want to touch you," Melanie blurted out. Paul barked a laugh and reached for her hand. He gracefully intertwined their fingers. Melanie blushed prettily but quickly became concerned. His skin was burning up!

"You're burning up! Are you sick?" She asked, taking her hand away and feeling his forehead. It felt like he was on fire.

"I've always been like that. My body temperature is abnormal I guess," he joked. Melanie calmed back down and took his word for it. He didn't seem to be concerned ro show any kind of symptoms of being sick.

"Mel! Melanie!" Said girl groaned and stood up. Jacob was yelling for her and it sounded like he was getting closer. Paul stood up too and handed her the sketch book and pencil.

"I'm over here!" She shouted back. Jacob appeared in the small clearing looking worried.

"I woke up and Dad said you left like 5 hours ago," he scolded her. Melanie's irritation spiked; she was older than him. She shouldn't be getting on to her for leaving the house. Jacob noticed Paul standing next to her, and it sounded like he growled at him. Melanie was caught off guard; was he wanting to sound like an animal now?

"I told you not to go near him, Mel," Jake said in a dark voice. Shivers ran out Melanie's spine at the sound and ended up stepping a little closer to Paul in the process. It wasn't intentional, but Jacob's voice and demeanor were scaring her.

"And I told you not to get my sister involved in any of this!" Jacob yelled at Paul. Paul started trembling again like how Melanie saw him doing yesterday. She wanted to reach out to him again, but stopped when Paul quickly retaliated to Jacob.

"Do you think I can control this?! It's not like I can just avoid her forever! Just wait until you imprint and then try to stay away from that girl!" Paul yelled right back at the younger male. What the hell are they talking about?! Melanie was getting fed up with all the secrets. They obviously weren't telling her something, and she was clearly involved in whatever it was.

"She's my sister!"

"She's my imprint!" Melanie slowly stepped away from both of the shaking boys. It looked like they wanted to rip each other apart, and she didn't want to be in the middle when it happened. Two arms wrapped around her from behind, and she turned to see Embry holding her. Jared, Quil, and Sam were running towards Jacob and Paul. Embry pulled Melanie away from the scene and back towards her house.

"Embry! What is going on here?!" She cried, feeling scared and upset.

"We'll tell you soon, but for now just go inside and try to relax." He begged her. She nodded and clutched onto her sketch book tightly before walking inside and going straight to her room. She decided the best thing to do was get her mind off of what was happening outside. Embry said they would tell her what was going on so she just needed to sit tight and wait.

Melanie grabbed one of her empty black frames and put Paul's portrait in it. Then she hung it up on the wall with the rest of her artwork. It did look nice, one of her best.

"Melanie? Are you home?" She heard her dad call down the hall.

"Yeah Dad, it's me," she called back not taking her eyes off of Paul's portrait.

"Okay, Jacob is staying out tonight so he won't be back home today." She didn't bother responding; of course he wouldn't come back and explain himself. Melanie gently touched Paul's face on the paper and traced his jaw line all the way down to his chest. What was it about him that kept drawing her to him? She pulled her hand away and mentally scolded herself. She was touching his picture for Heaven's sake. Sighing, she fell backwards onto her bed and tried to think about what else there was to do in this little town.

"Dad!" Melanie yelled and jumped up. She ran down the hall and met Billy halfway. He looked panicked like there was some kind of emergency.

"Where's First Beach?" She asked, feeling giddy.

"Uh just past Sam's house, through the trees." He answered. Melanie thanked him and ran back to her room to get ready. She threw on a light blue two piece and covered it with the clothes she had on earlier. She put her sunglasses on the top of her head and put her sketchbook and towel into a bag. Melanie told Billy goodbye and left the house, heading for the beach. She could barely remember what it looked like. The last time she was there was when her mom was still alive.

Melanie made it there without any problems and watched as the waves crashed against the shore and were slowly sucked back into the water. She set her bag down and took off her clothes. Smiling, she ran into the water and shivered. It was a little cold but not freezing. She sunk into the water and let her body get used to the chilly temperature. Floating on her back, she looked up and stared at the cloudless, blue sky.

"Melanie!" The brunette stood up in the water and saw Jacob standing on the shore. His hands were shoved in his pockets and his eyes were focused on the ground. She walked back onto the sand and wrapped her towel around herself. Jacob didn't say anything so she broke the silence first.

"What?" She asked still irritated with him. She didn't understand why he was so mad that she was hanging out with Paul.

"I'm sorry, but I'm just really protective of you. You left when I was little and now that you're back, I'm scared you might leave me again," he admitted. She sighed, not able to stay angry with him, and leaned over to wrap her arms around his neck.

"I love you, Jake, and I wouldn't leave you again, promise." They pinky swore and he smiled at her.

"But tell me, why are you mad at Paul for hanging out with me?" His smile disappeared in an instant. He ran one his hand through his short black hair and made it look messy like he just got out of bed.

"Paul is a womanizer, and I just didn't want you two to get close because I don't want him to hurt you."

"Jake, I've handled a lot of guys worse than Paul. Hell, I broke up with my last boyfriend because I walked in on him and our cousin, Lola. Trust me, Paul is an angel so far compared to Dylan." Jacob smiled at her a little and looked away again.

"So, can I see Paul again?" she asked.

"Why do youwant to see him so bad?" he asked staring straight into her brown eyes.

"I don't really know. I get this feeling around him where I feel like I need to touch him, and then there's this pull in my chest whenever he comes around. Is there something wrong with me?" Melanie asked, a look of dread on her face like she just found out that she was a terminal illness. Jacob groaned and let his head fall a little.

"No, there's nothing wrong with you, and now it seems like it's useless to try to keep you away from him."

 **A/N: Chapter two! Thank you for the follows, favorites, and reviews. It's just a few, but I love getting the notifications and seeing that some people are enjoying it. Keep it up! It helps me get the chapters out faster!**


	3. Chapter 3

Melanie quickly changed into clean clothes. Jacob told her they were going back to Sam's so they could explain everything to her. She was tired of feeling out of the loop and ready to know what exactly was happening with the guys. They made their way over to Sam's and this time, there was another girl there. Melanie subtly looked her over. She had the trademark russet tanned skin like the rest of the tribe and long black hair. The only difference was that she had three long scars marring her otherwise flawless face.

"That's Emily, Sam's fiancee. Don't stare," Jacob muttered in her ear. Melanie snorted in response.

"I'm not rude," She grumbled back at him. Looking around the room, she saw that Quil and Embry were sitting together on the couch. Sam was standing next to Emily, his arm wrapped around her waist. Melanie found that she wasn't all that interested in the others in the room; she mainly wanted to see Paul and get to the bottom of this.

"Melanie, thank you for coming over. There is a lot we need to discuss with you," Sam began. Out of the corner of her eye, Melanie saw Paul push himself off the wall he was leaning against and walk over to them.

"Sam, can I tell her? In private?" Paul said, softly. Melanie was caught off guard with the amount of respect and pleading in his voice. From what she'd seen of Paul so far, this was very unlike him. Sam looked over at Jacob who minutely nodded his head in approval. When Sam faced Paul again, he still appeared to be slightly hesitant.

"Yes, but stay within hearing range so we can come if something... happens," He finished. Paul nodded and looked down at Melanie. Heat rushed to her cheeks under his penetrating gaze. Never breaking eye contact, he extended his hand for her to take.

"Melanie?" The brunette slowly placed her hand in his and let their fingers intertwine. Paul led them out the back door with everyone's eyes following them. Melanie failed to miss Jacob's tense body language as they left the small house. The two walked hand in hand through the trees behind Sam's house. Neither of them said a word; each lost in their own thoughts. Paul didn't know where to start. He'd run through all the scenarios in his head while he was waiting for her to get to Sam's. He didn't want to start off wrong and end up scaring her away.

"There's something you need to know about me and the guys as a whole." He finally spoke as he stopped walking. Paul turned to face her completely and took both her hands in his. For a while he simply stared at their joined hands without saying anything.

"Paul?"

"Do you remember any of the tribe's legends?"

"Which ones?" Melanie laughed and cocked her head to the side. Every child on the reservation grew up hearing the many legends that surrounded the tribe.

"The ones about the shapeshifters and the cold ones."

"Of course. My dad loved to tell those to Jake and me. What does that have to do with what you need to tell me?"

"Would you believe me if I told you that they were true?" Paul held his breath and looked into Melanie's eyes. He saw all the different emotions flood her face at once. Confusion, anger, disappointment...

"What are you trying to pull here, Paul?" Melanie tried to pull her hands back, but Paul held them still in his.

"Melanie, I am a shapeshifter. So is Jake, and so are the rest of the guys we hang around. Please, believe me..." Melanie's heart wanted to break at Paul's sorrowful look, but why would she blindly believe something she grew up thinking was a tall tale? Seeing that she still wasn't convinced, Paul tried again.

"I can show you." Melanie tried to stop him, but Paul had already released her hands and started to walk back towards a grove of trees. He called over his shoulder to stay put. Melanie was frustrated to say the least. Here she was, trying to have a serious conversation, and Paul was making a joke out of it. She was about to leave and go back to Sam's, but a heavy thudding sound caught her attention. She trained her eyes on the spot were Paul disappeared and waited. Slowly a giant, silver wolf emerged from the trees.

Panicking, Melanie stumbled backwards, trying to get away but fell on a tree root and landed on her butt. Ignoring the pain, she kept scooting away, trying to get as much distance between her and the predator as she could. The wolf crouched down on its belly and started to whimper. Melanie stopped her escape efforts and looked at the wolf again. The wolf slowly inched closer until its snout was only a few inches away from her thigh.

"You have got to be shitting me," She breathed, "Paul?" The wolf had an almost sheepish look in its eyes. Melanie very slowly brought her hand closer to its snout. The wolf pressed its cold nose into the palm of her hand and sniffed.

"It really is you, isn't it?" Melanie asked, gently. Paul yipped and let his long tongue roll out as he panted. He gave Melanie's hand a quick lick causing her to yank her hand away with a small laugh. She wiped his slobber off on her demin shorts. Paul snorted and stood up to trot back behind the trees. Back to normal, Paul walked back to Melanie and helped her stand up. She winced at the small pain radiating from her back end.

"Are you hurt?" Paul asked, immediately inspecting her for any cuts or bruises. Melanie brushed him off with a smile.

"I'll live. You have more explaining to do. The rest of the guys are like you too?"

"Some of us were born with this gene that basically hibernates until it gets activated. That only happens if vampires come around. The gene allows us to shift into wolves whenever we need to so we can protect La Push from the bloodsuckers. The gene is what makes my skin feel so hot; there are side effects from it," Paul explained. Melanie's head was spinning. Those silly stories her dad used to tell her were suddenly true, and her brother and Paul were just like the tribesmen from the legends.

"Wait, you said when vampires come around... Are there any nearby now?" Paul nodded, stiffly.

"There's a coven of them living in Forks. They claim to be _vegetarians_ and say they don't feed on humans. We aren't letting our guard down though. There's any old treaty with this group so as long as they don't cross into La Push, we won't have a problem with them. They live as a family and go by the Cullens and Hales, but they aren't truly related. It's all to make the people in Forks believe they are just an ordinary family," Paul voice was laced with disgust. She could tell that he didn't get along or approve of the vampires in Forks.

"But where do I come in with all of this?" Melanie questioned, gesturing to nothing in particular with her hands.

"That's another thing that involves the gene. Once it's activated, we don't age as quickly as others do. But if we meet our imprints, we are able to age with them and live a normal life. Not everyone is able to imprint because you are only able to imprint on one person in the entire world, and you may never meet them. An imprint is like finding your soul mate but so much stronger. When they're found, the world stops turning, and they become the center of your entire universe. You will do anything for your imprint..." Paul stared off into space and trailed off. Melanie held her breath, finally understanding what he was trying to say. Paul shifted his gaze back to Melanie; staring deep into her soul.

"I imprinted on you when I first saw you at Sam's." She released the breath she was holding and trying to breathe normally, but her heart was trying to escape from her rib cage. Raising his hands up, Paul cupped her face when she tried to break their eye contact.

"I'm terrified, Mel. I've never felt anything like this before in my life. I can't even explain what exactly it is that I'm feeling..." Melanie covered his hands with her own and smiled softly back at him.

"Does it feel like a pull in your chest like someone has a hold on your heart? Like all you can think about is that person and what they're doing? Does it hurt when you've spent too much time apart?" She whispered. Paul nodded, closed his eyes and rested his forehead against hers.

"I feel it too, Paul." Melanie closed her eyes as well, and the two of them stood there for a few moments, soaking up the other's close presence. When Paul finally pulled away, Melanie felt much more relaxed and confident in knowing what was happening.

"Are there others who have imprinted?"

"Sam and Emily, Jared and a girl from school named Kim, and Quil imprinted on a two year old. It doesn't look like he started aging though so he will probably start again once Claire reaches an appropriate age for them to be together," Paul told her. She nodded and went over the pairings in her head. He didn't mention Jacob at all, and that made her curious.

"Jake hasn't imprinted yet?" Paul shook his head.

"No, but he has been in the middle of a lot of shit recently. He's got it bad for this chick named Bella, but she lives in Forks. You should ask about it though; it's been pretty hard on him, and he probably wants to tell you himself."Melanie thought it over and nodded. For Jacob to be head over heels for someone must mean that she is pretty special. She planned on asking him as soon as she had a chance.

"I need to tell you another thing; I have anger issues, obviously. I'm working on it, but when I get too upset, sometimes I can shift without meaning to. So for the time being, I just need you to be careful and not stand too close to me if I'm angry. Emily was standing too close to Sam when he shifted and..." Paul grimaced, but Melanie understood.

"The scars; they're from Sam."

"I'm getting better, but I don't want there to be any chance of me hurting you. It would kill me if something were to happen because I couldn't control myself." Melanie held one of Paul's hands and agreed to be careful.

"Anything else I should know before we head back?"

"Well, there will probably be a few sleepless nights in our future. The pack patrols the border every night to make sure the vamps are keeping their side of the treaty and staying out of our land. There may be days where you don't see me because I'm sleeping," Paul added.

"I think I can live with that," Melanie answered and leaned up to kiss Paul's cheek. He grinned widely and pulled her into his strong arms. Burying his face in her neck, he took in her unique scent; strawberries and rain. Odd but solely Melanie. The brunette wrapped her arms around his neck and held tight.

"We should get back to Sam's. The guys are probably waiting to make sure I didn't eat you," Paul grumbled and led Melanie back. She laced their fingers together as they walked and watched as Paul tried to hide his smile. He tried to act tough, but she knew that he would be wrapped around her finger in no time at all. Melanie found herself watching him as they walked back. The way the muscles in his chest and back moved as he walked was mesmerizing.

"Finally, you're back," Jacob said from the back porch. His interjection brought Melanie back to the present. It looked like he had been pacing back and forth, waiting for them to come back from their talk.

"Relax, I can take care of my imprint," Paul growled. Melanie smiled and stopped Jacob from making smart remark back at her... What was Paul to her? Were they technically in a relationship now because he imprinted on her? Melanie regretted not asking these questions when she had the chance to earlier. She walked up to Jacob and patted his arm.

"You'll be fine. Paul took care of me in the big, bad woods," She joked and led the guys back inside the house. Paul stood beside her, closer than he had before, his warm body heat emanating towards her. Everyone was still chatting amiably, not really taking notice to the ones that just entered the room. Paul leaned down and kissed Melanie's temple, happy that he was finally able to show her the affection he's been wanting to. He was never much of a romantic, but as soon as he imprinted, his entire outlook changed.

"No PDA in the house," Embry joked; he'd been eyeing them since they came back inside. He wanted to have faith in Paul to stay in control, but it still worried him that his anger got the best of him so easily. Especially with his best friend now being involved with him. Melanie pulled a little away from Paul with a laugh while the latter lightly glared at Embry for calling attention to them. Embry rolled his eyes and stood to walk over to Melanie. He draped an arm around her shoulders and messed up her hair. Melanie groaned and swatted his hand away so she could fix herself.

Paul wrapped his arms around Melanie's waist and her pulled back into him and away from Embry. It was instinct and he acted before his brain was able to catch up with him. Glancing over her shoulder with a raised eyebrow, Melanie wanted to ask what that was all about. Embry understood though and kept his distance after that.

"My wolf doesn't like others touching you," He mumbled like that was answer enough. Warmth filled Melanie's belly at his confession. She didn't like overly jealous and suspicious guys, but having a guy subtly assert himself in front of other guys turned her on. She also liked to be the reason for Paul's possessiveness. Melanie leaned back into his arms while the pack changed the conversation to the upcoming shift and who was supposed to be there. Melanie stifled a yawn behind her hand and looked out the window to see the sun setting.

"Mel, let's get you home. I need to get some shut eye before my shift at midnight," Jacob said while standing up. His sister groaned and pushed herself off Paul to stand up straight. He chuckled and kissed her cheek to say goodnight. A light blush lingered on her cheeks as she left with Jacob.

"So I'm guessing everything went well with Paul."

"Yeah, it was difficult to believe him at first, but once I saw his wolf, I was able to calm down. I'm glad I can talk to you about this; that you're also involved. I can only imagine how hard it was to go through all this alone... I'm here for you too, Jake, anytime you need me to be." Jacob flashed her one of his widest smiles. When he heard Melanie was moving back, he couldn't remember a time when he was more excited.

"I'm also here if you want to talk about Bella. Paul mentioned her but didn't go into detail." Jacob's smile fell a little and he nodded.

"Bella... She hurt me, pretty bad. We should talk outside; I don't want Dad to overhear and think I'm still moping about her." The two sat down on one of their front porch steps and Jacob went into more detail.

"I met her after you left for Chicago. She was visiting her dad who lives in Forks. Recently, her mom moved to Florida so she moved up here to be with her dad full time."

"What did she do to you?" Melanie asked, her voice barely above a whisper. Jacob sighed and rubbed a hand over his face.

"We got close, very close. I fell in love with her; the entire pack knew her. She was always hanging around. But she was leading me on; she made me think she was just as invested as I was. But she was really just using me to get over her boyfriend who skipped town. When he came back, she dropped me so fast my head spun," Jacob let out a humorless laugh at the memory. Melanie's fists were clenched. If this girl ever tried to come back into her brother's life, she had another thing coming.

"Who was her boyfriend?"

"Edward Cullen."


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Thank you for all the follows and favorites! Please leave a review and let me know what you think. I'm also sorry for any grammatical errors. I read through it before I post it, but I still miss a few :P**

"Cullen? Like the vampires?" She asked, remembering what Paul told her earlier about the family that lived in Forks. Jacob nodded his head and released a deep breath.

"Yeah, that's him." Melanie scooted closer and wrapped her arms around her younger brother's neck to hug him tightly. She hated seeing him upset, and she hated even more that still was all happening while she was gone. Realizing this was going to take longer than a few minutes, Melanie pulled Jacob up and made him go inside with her. There was no sign of their dad; he must;ve already gone to bed. The two shuffled into Melanie's room and got comfy sitting on her bed.

"We don't have to keep talking about this if you don't want to. I'll understand," Melanie said, breaking the small silence that had formed once they went inside.

"No, this is something you need to know. There's a big chance you'll run into her or the coven in Forks. It's not a very big town." Jacob began to elaborate about the things he just mentioned. How Bella showed up with the motorcycles and recruited his help in fixing them. How he slowly fell in love with her over pizza slices and late nights in the garage. How he almost beat up a kid named Mike at the theater for trying to make passes at Bella, and how he and Bella almost kissed a few times but never actually did.

Everything he was saying made Melanie grit her teeth and bite her tongue. She didn't want to say something that would upset Jacob when he was being so open and forthcoming with her. But who in their right mind would pass up such a great guy like her brother? This Edward guy must have a dick made of gold or something; otherwise Bella is a blind fool for overlooking Jacob. If Melanie ever had the chance to meet Bella, she'd make sure she knew just what she was missing out on.

"Alice, Edward's so called 'sister', can see the future. Some vampires have gifts; Edward can read minds, Alice can see a person's future, and another one, Jasper, can manipulate feelings I think. Alice came back to Forks and told Bella that Edward was planning to kill himself because he thought she was dead. It was a huge miscommunication and some Shakespearean bull crap. I asked her to stay - with me. I thought for a minute that she actually would, but I was wrong. Nothing is more important to her than that leech. She left and went to get him."

"Bitch," Melanie said before she could stop herself. Jacob just smiled wryly.

"I had a feeling you would say something like that. It's okay; I've been moving on, and I'm trying to not let her affect me as much anymore." Jacob smiled at Melanie and checked the time on his phone and groaned. It was already after ten, and he had to be up at midnight for his patrol.

"Just sleep here, and I'll make sure you wake up in time for your shift." Jacob didn't protest much and got comfortable in Melanie's bed and passed out after a few minutes. Melanie turned off the overhead light but clicked her side lamp on so she could still see. Grabbing her book off her nightstand, she turned to the dog-eared page and picked up where she left off. It was a murder mystery with a touch of romance about a reclusive detective protecting a fiery journalist from a serial killer; the kind of book Melanie could lose herself in.

After an hour of reading, her hip was starting to her from her position in bed so she got up. She was careful to not disturb Jacob and made her way over to her window. Melanie opened it wide and sat on the windowsill to look up at the stars. She had to wake Jacob up in about twenty minutes and then she could get some shut eye.

The stars were something that Melanie had always taken for granted. Chicago wasn't the best place to go stargazing. There was too much smog, and a lot of the skyscrapers covered the view of the night sky. The brunette closed her eyes and relaxed as the night breeze tousled her long, dark locks.

"Mel." For a minute she thought it was just her imagination, but when she opened her eyes, she saw Paul walking closer to her house from the tree lining.

"What're you doing here? I thought you had to patrol tomorrow. You need to get some sleep!" She whispered back. Paul reached her window and saw Jacob sleeping soundly in her bed behind her. Raising an eyebrow, he put a finger to his lips and lifted himself up so he could sit beside her on the windowsill. He brought his warm hand up to cup one side of Melanie's face.

"It's hard not being around you," He mumbled and pulled the tiny woman closer to him. She snuggled into his side and relished in the warmth he was providing. She could hear the steady beating of his heart where her head rested against his chest. Reluctantly, she pulled away.

"I have to wake Jake up for his shift soon. I know you guys are trying to be better around each other, but I don't want him to get upset if he sees you here this late." Melanie looked back and saw Jacob still fast asleep, but it was five minutes until midnight and she needed to get him up soon.

"I'll just hide in your closet." Before Melanie could stop him, Paul was pulling himself the rest of the way into her room and closing himself inside her small closet. Rolling her eyes, Melanie walked over to her bed and gently shook Jacob's shoulder.

"Jakey, you need to get up," She cooed in his ear. The teenager groaned and tried to roll over.

"No, I wanna sleep," He grumbled, not fully awake.

"Jacob Black, get your butt up and go do your wolf thing," Melanie scolded him. Jacob grumbled some more and sat up to stretch. He took in a deep breath and stiffened. Melanie instantly got nervous but tried to remain calm and collected.

"Is Paul here?" He asked in a serious tone.

"No, he's probably sleeping for his shift," Melanie lied through her teeth. Se knew Jacob wouldn't be okay with Paul being over late. Her brother sniffed and air again and made a face.

"It smells like Paul."

"And you're sure it's not me? I was around him all afternoon." Jacob leaned in closer and smelled her.

"Gross, it is you. You need to go shower and get his scent off of you; it's... disturbing. I'm late; I'll see you later this morning," Jacob said and jumped out her window. Melanie watched him run off and closed the window once he was gone.

"You put me on your wall?" Melanie turned to see Paul looking at the many drawings on her wall. He was looking at the one she did of him earlier that day. It seemed like ages ago that all that happened, but it was just that morning. Melanie nodded and sat down on her bed. Paul joined her and laid down on her pillows in the spot that Jacob had just vacated.

"It was one of my better ones so I felt like framing it," Melanie answered him and laid down so she could look him in the eyes. She put her hand on his and examined how different they were. Paul was a few shades tanner than she was, and his hand dwarfed hers in size. He slid his fingers between hers and brought her hand up to his lips so he could kiss it softly.

"You really should get some sleep soon," Melanie told him, fighting down the blush that threatened to invade her cheeks. Paul smiled at her and made her heart beat quicken. Melanie still didn't understand the effect he had on her; he could make her feel like a school girl with a crush in two seconds flat.

"And I told you that it's hard for me to stay away from you for too long."

"It's only been a few hours since I left Sam's house."

"Yeah, that's definitely too long." He whispered; his face a few inches from hers. Paul shifted so that he was above Melanie, a hand on either side of her face. Melanie ran her hands up his exposed arms and let him rest on his shoulders. She knew what was coming, and she welcomed it with a mild excitement. Paul pressed his lips to hers gently - innocently. Sparks flew and the kiss turned into anything but innocent very quickly. Melanie wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer; their kiss getting deeper. Paul slipped his tongue into Melanie's vulnerable mouth moved so that he was resting between her legs. Gripping her hips with his large hands, Paul pulled them closer and moved his lips to explore Melanie's neck.

Melanie took in a shaky breath and tried to get control of herself. But when Paul found a sweet spot on her neck, she let out a breathy moan that drove Paul crazy. He smashed their lips back together, one of his hands tangled in her hair, the other on her rib cage. His dominate personality was shining through, and Melanie didn't have any complaints. She was on cloud 9. Her heart was pounding, and a warmth was building in her belly. She wasn't the only one affected and could feel Paul getting aroused through his shorts. Melanie ran her hands up and down his abdomen, feeling his muscles ripple under her light touch. Paul groaned and pulled away, efficiently ending their kiss.

"Paul, what is it?" Melanie asked, leaned back on her elbows. Paul was straddling her hips and rubbed his face harshly with his hand.

"You're not even my girlfriend yet, and I'm making moves on you. I don't want to pressure you or make you feel like we're moving too fast. Mel, I feel like you're a glass doll and if I put my hands on you, I might break you. I don't want to hurt you," He mumbled with sad eyes. He tried to move away from her, but Melanie grabbed both his arms and made him stay where he was.

"That's not going to happen. I'm your imprint, Paul; we were made for each other. I'm nothing something fragile that will break if you look at me the wrong way. Don't worry so much. If anything, I want us to be together and work on building a future with each other," Melanie explained.

"You really mean that? Because once I'm invested, Black, you won't be able to change your mind. You'll be mine. Forever." Paul cupped her face again, and chills ran down Melanie's spine at his possessive words. Words she loved hearing. Forever Paul's. She could do that.

"I mean it." Melanie kissed him one more time and made him roll over so he was back in his spot before.

"As much as I loved what we were doing before, you need to get some sleep. We can talk more about this tomorrow when you're done with your shift." Paul chuckled and got under the blankets with his now girlfriend. He wrapped his arms around her petite frame and pulled her close, inhaling her scent as they drifted to sleep.

* * *

Melanie woke up to the sound of angry voices. She could tell they were attempting to be quiet, but that wasn't working for them. Paul still had his arms wrapped around her, but she could tell that he was awake. She kept her eyes shut and tried to figure out who else was in her room.

"What the hell are you doing in here?" One asked in a low whisper. Melanie immediately recognized it as Jacob's voice. He must be confronting Paul which was not a good thing.

"I came over to see Melanie and we fell asleep," Paul whispered right back in an angry tone. At least he was smart enough to leave out all the extra details about what they did before they fell asleep. Jacob growled at him and told him to get up. The bed shifted, and Melanie felt Paul release his hold on her. She peeked her eyes open and saw that the sun was up and light filled her bedroom.

"Paul, I—"

"You guys need to be quiet," Melanie grumbled and sat up slowly. She rubbed the sleep out of her eyes and looked at the two, large guys in her room. They were almost chest to chest and were glaring at each other.

"Paul was here last night, wasn't he? You lied to me, Mel."

"Jake, you need to stay out of our business." Jacob looked over at Melanie with hard eyes. She groaned and pulled her hair up into a messy bun to get it out of her face. Jacob's eyes zeroed in on her neck and he froze in place.

"Is that a hickey?" He asked, icily. Melanie quickly touched her neck. She didn't know Paul did enough to leave a hickey. Jacob and Paul started yelling at each other again and ended up leaving the room. They outside before Melanie knew what was happening. Billy sat in his wheelchair in the kitchen, dumbfounded. Melanie felt bad for his confusion but ran outside; she could hear their screaming match escalating.

"Don't fucking touch my sister!"

"She's my imprint and girlfriend. We don't have to ask for your permission to do anything!" Melanie could only pick out a few things that they were saying. Paul was shaking violently and Jacob saw that. He shoved Paul towards the woods and out from the public view. Melanie was hot on their trail, telling them to stop acting like children.

"Jacob! Stop! You guys need to stop fighting!" Melanie tried to yell over them. They were in the middle of the trees now and far from any wandering eyes.

"Melanie, get away from him! It's dangerous!" Jacob yelled at her. Melanie ignored him and tried to see if Paul was okay.

"Listen to Jacob and stay back. I don't want you hurt you!" Paul ground out. She vaguely recalled their conversation yesterday about Sam and Emily, but she didn't think that Paul would actually hurt her. She began to take a step back though because he asked her to keep her distance, but she was too late. Within seconds, Paul phased right in front of her, only a couple of feet from her. Jacob caught her when she was thrown backwards and held her carefully in his arms. It took a moment for Melanie's body to finally respond and for her brain to process what happened. She was overcome with a tremendous amount of pain. It spread through her body like wildfire and made her world go dark.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Sorry it took so long for me to update. I've been on a huge Netflix kick and been binge watching The Walking Dead and The 100 again. I forgot how much I love those shows. If you don't watch them, then you definitely should. I've been inspired by TWD, and I've started brainstorming for a possible Daryl/OC fanfiction. We'll see where it goes.**

 **Thank you for all the follows and reviews! I love hearing back from you guys. I'm not too good at replying to them, but typically if you guys have questions, I reply when I can! Keep it up because the more feedback I get, the more motivated I am to update faster!**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Wolves howling in the distance shattered the surrounding silence. Paul phased back to his human form and went to run over to Melanie and Jacob but held himself back. He was horrified at what he'd just done. Bright red blood coated Jacob's tan hands as he tried to stem the constant flow from Melanie's abdomen.

Jacob pulled her shirt up, revealing the four long gashes covering her once unmarred skin. Pulling his shirt off, Jacob used it to press against the open wounds. He wanted to kill Paul, he wanted to strangle him for hurting his sister, but all he could focus on right now was helping Melanie. She was slowly coming to, her eyes half lidded and pained whimpers escaping her lips.

Paul jerked his head to the side when he heard more voices joining them in the clearing. Several of his pack mates came running over, Embry throwing a pair of pants at him in the process. Mindlessly, Paul caught them and pulled them on, not even realizing that he was still naked. All he could do was helplessly stare at Melanie's suddenly pale body cradled in Jacob's arms.

"What happened?" Sam roared, alpha voice in full effect. Paul felt his inner wolf cower at the anger laced in his tone.

"Paul and I were fighting; he phased and Melanie was right next to him!" Jacob growled, eye flashing angrily over to Paul. He opened his mouth to say something but quickly snapped it shut. There was nothing he could say to make up for what he did; he mutilated his imprint. His inner wolf was whining in his head, and he could feel his heart ripping itself apart. He knew bits and pieces of what Sam told them it felt like to hurt an imprint, but what he was feeling was so much worse than what he thought it was like. If he could, Paul would trade places with her in a heartbeat.

Melanie tried to open her eyes, grimacing when the pain hit her full force again. Tears leaked from her red eyes and ran down her cheeks.

"J-Jake," She cried, trying to grab his bloodied hand.

"Shit, we need to get her to a hospital," Jacob said quickly. Sam barked at someone to go get Jacob's car ready while Jacob tried to pick Melanie up. A gasp of pain tore itself from her throat when the movement jostled her too much. Apologizing, Jacob took off into the trees, back tracking to their house where Quil had his Rabbit already running. Paul couldn't move; his brain was telling his feet to follow them, but he remained frozen in place. Sam Jogged over to him and shoved him roughly into the tree trunk behind him.

The bite from the bark against his exposed skin brought Paul out of his trance. He looked up and saw his alpha glaring down at him, his lips pulled back in anger and disappointment.

"Now isn't the time to feel sorry for yourself," He growled. "Your imprint is suffering. Get your sorry ass moving!" Paul nodded and forced himself to move. He'd only seen Sam that mad a few times since joining the pack, but he knew he was right. He need to pull himself together and be there for Melanie.

Quil saw Jacob coming and opened the back door so he could lay Melanie flat across the back seat.

"Jake, what's going on?" Billy asked from the front porch. He'd seen Quil run into the garage and drive Jacob's car out, but he was too flustered to answer any of Billy's questions. Jacob looked over his shoulder at his dad as he was climbing into the front seat.

"Melanie got hurt. I have to take her to Carlisle," He said the man's name with a sneer. Melanie was only half aware of everything going on around her. She clutched Jacob's soiled shirt against her stomach knowing he wanted her to, but the blood loss was making her loopy. She heard Jacob's contempt when he mentioned Carlisle's name. She tried to place where she knew the name from, but it was too difficult to focus it.

Embry ran up to the passenger side door and climbed in. Jacob quickly pulled out of the driveway before Billy could ask anything else. He didn't want to owe the leech any favors, but this was his sister in trouble. He didn't want to deal with human doctors asking a bunch of questions about how she was injured, and he knew Carlisle would understand where the marks came from.

Embry turned to look at his best friend in the back seat. She tried to focus her eyes on him when she saw him turn around. "We're taking you to see Carlisle. He's a Cullen and will know how to treat you. We'll be there soon," Embry explained. Melanie tried to nod, but it just made her dizzy.

"P-Paul?" Melanie forced out, feeling drunk. Jacob's hands tightened around the steering wheel, his knuckles turning white from the grip.

"He was talking to Sam, but he'll be there. Don't worry, Mel," Embry answered because Jacob clearly wasn't going to. Melanie grunted, wanting to say more, but her mouth felt like it was full of cotton, and the pain was becoming intolerable again. Her vision narrowed before completely going dark again.

"Jake, she passed out again!" Embry rushed. Jacob sped into the emergency entrance of the hospital and threw the car in park. Embry grabbed Melanie, trying to be as gentle as possible. He tried to hold the shirt to her wounds as he ran inside, Jacob hot on his heels.

"I need Dr. Cullen!" Jacob yelled. A nurse ran over, her eyes widening when she saw the amount of blood on both the boys. Carlisle heard Jacob scream and rounded the corner as fast as he could without looking inhuman. His golden eyes met Jacob's brown ones and he understood what was happening. He waved them over and into a room. Embry laid Melanie down on the bed and turned back to Carlisle.

"Please, help her." Carlisle nodded and called for the nurse to come in and help. Embry gently pulled Jacob back so they could give Carlisle space while he worked, but he also didn't want Jacob to have to see her wounds more than he'd already had. Another nurse came into the room and walked up to them carefully.

"Come on, let's get you two cleaned up. Dr. Cullen has everything under control, and you two can come back once he's done. She's in good hands now." They let her lead them out of the room. Jacob looked back one more time at his sister's unconscious face and prayed that she would be okay.

* * *

Melanie groaned as she slowly came to, her eyes squeezing shut in pain. When she tried to open them, the hospital lights blinded her with their fluorescence. There was movement beside her and a cold hand checking her pulse and head for fever.

"It's okay. Your eyes will adjust soon. The hospital lights can be unforgivable at times," A melodic voice spoke quietly. Melanie opened her eyes again and turned to see who was talking to her. A young man with golden eyes stared back at her. 'A _vampire'_ she thought vaguely. She hadn't seen one yet even though she'd found out they existed. Putting the pieces together, Melanie deduced that this was Carlisle, the doctor and patriarch to the coven of vampires in Forks. The vampires that the pack did _not_ like.

"I'm Carlisle Cullen. Your brother and Embry brought you here. Do you remember that?" Carlisle asked, taking a seat next to her bed. It was then that she noticed no one else was in the room with them. She'd expected to see at least Jacob there because he was so damn protective of her recently.

"Some of it. I remember being put in Jacob's car and Embry talking to me. But I don't remember being brought into the hospital."

"That's common with trauma. The body will shut down if the pain gets too much. It's a defense mechanism to protect you," Carlisle explained. It was silent after that, Melanie not knowing what to say to him, didn't know what she _could_ say to him considering who he was. "I was told that you were too close to one of the men when he phased."

 _Paul._

"I was able to stop the bleeding, but you lost a lot of blood. You've been getting a few transfusions while you rested. Melanie, you've had a serious injury," He started. Melanie swallowed thickly and looked down to her stomach. Everything looked normal with her body covered up, but she could feel the tight wrappings and the sore skin where she undoubtedly had stitches. She moved the blanket away and lifted the gown up just enough to see the white bandages wrapped around her. Covering herself back up, her eyes met Carlisle's again.

"How bad is it?"

"I did my best to stitch you up, but there will be scars after everything heals." Carlisle's voice soothed her, but Melanie was still upset. Yes, she would be scarred now for life, but she couldn't help but think of Paul. He was probably already devastated, and now she was going to have a permanent reminder on her body of what he did. When he looked at her, all he was going to see was a mistake. It made her heart clench in pain; his rejection would kill her.

"Is anyone here?" She asked after a few beats of silence. Carlisle nodded. "There's a few of the pack members here. Your brother, Embry, Sam and Paul."

 _Paul._

"Can I see them now?" Carlisle got up and walked over to the door. He stopped before opening it. "If their company becomes too much, I can make them leave," He offered as an after thought. He figured one of them was involved with her, and there was bound to be tension with all the wolves in one room after such a drastic event. Melanie thanked him and watched him leave her room.

Not even a full minute after Carlisle left, the pack was coming into her room. Jacob was by her side first, checking her over with his eyes not touching her. She smiled at him and looked over at the rest of the guys. Embry and Sam were giving her space, and Paul was leaning against the wall, his eyes on the floor. Melanie wanted to cry; he didn't want to be there. She was scarred and he didn't want to be with her anymore. It was a hard pill to swallow. Forcing herself to look back at her brother, she saw how concerned Jacob's eyes were.

"Carlisle's been filling us in on your condition. How are you feeling?" He asked, his eyes glancing at the blood hanging on the IV pole.

"Better. There's pain, but it's not bad. He said there will be scars; I guess I have a pretty cool story to tell people now," Melanie tried to joke, but her smile didn't quite reach her eyes. Jacob saw the way her eyes kept flitting over to Paul. He still wanted to pummel him, but Sam made him back down. He used the alpha voice to keep both of them away from each other. It didn't take away his anger though, and he didn't think he would be able to forgive Paul any time soon, if ever.

Sam and Embry got closer to talk to her for a while. She wanted to be part of the conversation, but her mind kept going to Paul. Why hadn't he even looked up at her? Was he that repulsed now?

"Thank you guys for coming, but can I talk to Paul alone now?" She asked, a lump in her throat. Jacob wanted to object, but Sam nipped that in the bud. He ushered the other two out the door and told Melanie to get better soon. The room was quiet with just her and Paul remaining. He stayed against the wall, eyes trained on the floor.

"I'm such a fuck up," He rasped. Melanie was surprised he broke the silence and even more so with his words. She was expecting something more along the lines of ending things with her.

"What?" Paul finally looked up at her, his dark eyes red and glazed over with unshed tears. Melanie's heart skipped a beat at the sight of him. This big, tough guy falling apart right in front of her.

"I fuck up everything good in my life." His words touched something deep inside of her, and all Melanie wanted to do was hold him.

"Paul, come here." Slowly, he walked over and sunk into the chair beside her bed. He looked at her and let his head drop into his hands, his fingers clenching his already short hair.

"It was an accident," Melanie whispered.

"It's unforgivable."

"No, Paul-"

"I hurt you, Melanie," He growled, his head snapping up to meet her worried gaze. "How could I hurt the one person I need in this world? How could I have lost control so easily with you so close? I could have killed you..."

"I'm fine, Paul."

"No, you're not," He muttered. "You're in pain. I've scarred you for life; I'm dangerous to you. Now when you look in the mirror, all you're going to see is my lack of self control and how I hurt you." Melanie couldn't help but think about how their thought processes were so similar but equally misguided. He'd spent all this time worrying about her not being able to forgive him, and she was caught up thinking that he would want to end things between them.

"Stop it. I don't blame you. We all make mistakes, but we have to learn from them and move on. I never once thought about holding this against you or worrying about my safety around you. This will never happen again; I know you won't let it. I was worried that you wouldn't want to be with me anymore now that I'm going to have scars," She trailed off at the end, looking away from him.

"Impossible. Nothing could ever make me stop wanting to be with you. Nothing." His words lifted the weight that had settled over her. Without realizing it, the dam broke and tears rolled down her cheeks. She didn't know she'd feel that relieved after hearing him say that to her. Not understanding why she was crying, Paul froze up. It made Melanie laugh roughly and pat the bed. He debated it in his head a moment before finally crawling in next to her.

Paul laid on his side so that Melanie could stay on her back. He slid an arm under her head so that it was resting on his bicep. His other arm felt useless. Normally he would wrap it around her, but he didn't know if she would be okay with him touching her that closely to where he hurt her just that morning.

"I'm okay, Paul. That's not much pain, and it's all bandaged up," She told him, reading his mind. Paul's fingers grazed her gown and lifted it to look at the white wrappings. He didn't see any blood, and released the breath he didn't know he was holding. Seeing Jacob covered in her blood traumatized him. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he was expecting to see the same bloody mess under the thin hospital gown.

Moving to hide his face in Melanie's dark hair, he gently wrapped his arm around her hips, avoiding the wound.

"I'm so sorry, Mel." She could hear the slight crack in his voice and squeezed the arm around her hips.

"It's okay, Paul. _We_ are okay," She whispered, turning her head to kiss his jaw. His fingered tightened their hold on her, wanting to pull her closer but not wanting to jar her too much.

"I thought you would want to leave me," He confessed. After Jacob took her away and Sam ripped him a new one, all he could think about was Melanie's reaction. He wouldn't even blame her if she wanted to get as far away from him as possible. His wolf was upset, thinking his mate was going to leave him. The hole in his chest became all encompassing, and he hadn't even thought that she would possibly forgive him and want to stay with him. Her kind words and touches healed him and brought his inner wolf back from his brief depression.

"I'm your imprint, Paul. I don't ever plan on leaving you."


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: I'm still blown away by the amount of feedback I've already gotten for this story! You guys are truly amazing and I appreciate every single favorite, follow, and review! I've been working the night shift at the hospital, and it's taken me a while to get back into the swing of things. So I decided to work on a few of my stories while I had the time. Please read and let me know what you think.**

The next day found Melanie still in bed. Carlisle prescribed her strict bed rest, and she was already going crazy. Her skin felt itchy and dirty from her lack of a shower since getting home, and all she could think about was the warm running water in the bathroom next door to her room.

"Melanie, Paul is here to see you!" Billy called from down the hall. Melanie perked up in bed and smoothed her hair down as much as possible before Paul showed up in her doorway. He flashed her a quick grin before biting his lip and giving her a once over. She could tell he wanted to say something about her predicament but held it in. She scolded him enough about not feeling guilty, and it looked like it was finally starting to sink in.

"How are you doing?" He asked and sat on the edge of the bed, not wanting to jostle the brunette. Melanie shrugged and rubbed her collar bone absentmindedly.

"I could really go for a shower, but Carlisle banned me from getting out of the bed anytime soon," Melanie complained.

Paul looked to the side in thought. "I could carry you in there, and we can wrap your bandages up tight so none of the water gets in. You'll probably have to take a bath though and not fill it too high and submerge the bandages," Paul rambled. Melanie couldn't stop the smile from covering her lips at his thoughtfulness. She leaned forward enough to kiss his cheek and cut him off.

"That sounds great. We have some saran wrap in the pantry." Paul was up and in the kitchen before Melanie could say anything else. Pushing the covers back, she slowly moved her legs to let them dangle off the bed. The pain wasn't nearly as bad as when it first happened, but there was still a dull ache surrounding her stomach.

Paul walked back in and handed her the box of saran wrap before picking her up carefully and heading into the bathroom. He gingerly sat her on the bathroom counter and closed the door to give them some privacy. It was then that Paul realized she was just wearing an oversized t shirt and underwear. They messed around before but had yet to see the other completely naked yet.

"Do you uh need help getting undressed?" He croaked, thinking about her naked. He knew he shouldn't get worked up about it because she was probably still in pain from his unintentional attack, but it was an undeniable truth that she was the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen.

"Yeah, it hurts to raise my arms too high above my head," She mumbled. Paul nodded and slid his hands forward to inch under her top. He helped raise it up and get her arms out of it without hurting her. Paul tried, he really did, but seeing her topless left him breathless. He focused on her face and not the most perfect pair of breasts just inches from his hands.

"We can wrap my bandages and then change them when I'm done," Melanie commented. She saw Paul's internal struggle and felt another form of affection blossom in her chest when she saw him reign it in and focus on her well being. Paul nodded, turned on the water to fill the tub and got to opening the saran wrap. Melanie helped by lifting her arms enough for Paul to reach around with the wrap and cover all the exposed bandages.

"We just need to be careful not to let them sit under the water for too long," Paul mumbled and turned the water off once he thought it was full enough.

"What about...?" He gestured to her underwear. Melanie flushed and looked down. She was already self conscious enough with him seeing her topless; she didn't need him seeing that as well. Not yet at least.

"If you help me up, I think I can manage on my own." Paul lifted her back up and set her on her feet. He held her arms and looked away so she could take her underwear off without him staring at her. Melanie told him she was ready, and he helped her get into the tub. Once she was settled, Paul slid down and sat with his back against the porcelain tub.

"This feels so good," Melanie groaned at the warm water. Grabbing a loofah and her body wash, Melanie began to scrub every inch of visible skin, careful not to move the saran wrap.

"So to what do I owe the visit?" Melanie asked as she washed herself. She was glad to see Paul, but she figured he would be busy with pack duties today. Things were still tense when she got home from the hospital last night.

"Nothing, I just wanted to come and check in on you," He mumbled with a small shrug. Melanie looked at his broad shoulders and smiled; he was a big softy on the inside.

"I feel a lot better today. The pain is going away, but when there are flare ups, Carlisle gave me some pretty strong painkillers," She laughed wanting to lighten the mood. "Carlisle said everything should be healed up in the next month. I'll be good as new in no time."

"Yeah, a month too late. It never should have happened in the first place. Now your summer is ruined, and then you'll be off in college far away from here," Paul grumbled and it clicked in Melanie's head why he was so forlorn. She raised her hand to run her wet fingers through Paul's dark hair. He closed his eyes and soaked in her warm touch.

"I won't be that far away; I'll still be living here. You can always save up some money and come with me. Or you can go to community college or one of the technical schools. I know they offer some auto shop classes that will help add onto your experience." Paul chuckled and shook his head.

"I wasn't cut out for higher education."

"You won't know unless you try-"

"Paul!" They both turned their heads when they heard Jared calling for him. Before either could react, Jared threw the door open in search of his pack mate. His eyes widened and filled with horror; the last thing he expected to find was a naked Melanie in the bathroom with Paul. He could smell his pack mate but not his imprint in the bath tub.

"The fuck, Jared?! Get the hell out!" Paul snarled. Face aflame, Jared slammed the door shut and thanked his lucky stars that all Paul did was yell at him.

"I didn't know Mel was in there too," He called through the door. "Sam wants me to tell you that you need to pick up the next patrol in an hour." With that he was gone, and Paul was groaning. He let his head drop back so that it was resting on the edge of the tub, and his eyes were looking directly into Melanie's.

"He's an idiot. Did he see you?" Melanie wasn't sure what all Jared saw, but she shook her head anyway. If Jared was smart, he would keep is mouth shut even if he did manage to catch a glimpse of anything.

"Good," Paul mumbled and pecked her quickly before getting up and grabbing a towel. Melanie pulled the drain and let Paul help her up, his eyes averted again.

"What else did Carlisle say?" Melanie wrapped the towel around her hips and let Paul put her back on the counter.

"He said I could come back in two weeks to see if I could get the stitches taken out, but I need to go easy on myself until then. Once they're out, I can do more, but I still need to be cautious," She told him as he began to unwrap the saran wrap and her bandages. Using a warm wash cloth, Paul cleaned the irritated skin near her stitches. It was the first time he actually saw the full extent of the damage he did to her.

"I can't believe I did this," He said hoarsely and kept washing her stomach. Melanie frowned and cupped his cheek, forcing him to look down at her.

"You can't keep doing this to yourself. It happened, Paul. And I don't blame you for it so you can't blame yourself either. Jacob got under your skin, and you reacted to it. It's done, and we both need to move on from it. I'm fine, and I'll be even better at the end of the month. So stop beating yourself up." Paul swallowed and nodded. He replaced the old bandages with new ones and wrapped the towel around her entire body to cover her completely.

Paul carried her back into the bedroom and set her down on the bed. He headed to her dresser and got her another night shirt but hesitated when it came to opening her underwear drawer. He knew which one it was because most were near the top, but he didn't want to invade her privacy.

"Just grab the blue ones," Melanie grinned and decided to have mercy on him. She knew the blue ones were on the top, and they were cotton and comfortable. She didn't want to put anything fancy on. Paul quickly grabbed them and closed the drawer again. He helped her back into her shirt and turned so she could slide the clean underwear up her legs.

"Do you need anything else before I go?" He asked and chucked her towel into the hamper.

"No, if I do, I can call for my dad. You should probably head out before they send Jared back over here." Paul snorted at the thought of Jared coming to look for him again. He relented and leaned down to kiss his girlfriend's forehead.

"But you can come back here once you're done patrolling and cuddle with me," Melanie teased.

"I wouldn't be anywhere else," He whispered and kissed her once more, this time on the lips. With a soft goodbye, he was out her door and gone. Leaning back into the pillows littering her bed, Melanie was bored again in a matter of minutes. She wasn't one to stay inside all day.

Grabbing the book on her nightstand, she tried to read a few chapters, but ended up zoning out on the same page. She tossed it aside at the same time Jacob trudged into her room. Paul must have relieved him from patrol. He had a plate with a sandwich on it and set it on the bed next to her. He all but collapsed onto the other side of the bed. Melanie looked at the plate in question and then back at her younger brother.

"Dad made it for you and told me to bring it to you before I went to bed. I don't think I can make it to my room," He mumbled. Melanie snorted and picked up one half of the sandwich to start eating it.

"Sam shouldn't work you guys so hard. If there's an actual threat, you won't be able to stay awake long enough to fight them." Jacob peeked his eyes open and smiled. Reaching over his sister's body, he grabbed the other half of her sandwich and sunk his teeth into it.

"Jerk," She muttered halfheartedly.

"What have you been up to?"

"Besides staying in bed? Nothing. Paul came by earlier and kept me company, but he just left to go patrol. He's going to come back by later when he's done. I was waiting for you to get home or I was going to bug Dad."

"Sorry to disappoint but I really want to sleep, and Dad went over to the Clearwater's after making you lunch," Jacob informed her. Melanie rolled her eyes and nodded.

"I figured you would. Go ahead and sleep; I'll find something else to do to keep me occupied until you wake up or Paul comes back." Jacob opened his mouth to say something about Paul but was caught off by the doorbell. He groaned and forced himself to get up and go answer it.

Melanie watched her brother slowly walk down the hall and call out to the person that he was coming. She soon heard what almost sounded like fighting. Whoever was at the door was upsetting Jacob. Thinking it might be Paul, Melanie grabbed one of her large, throw blankets to wrap around herself instead of finding pants and walked down the hall. Every step caused a small pain to shoot up her side, but she wanted to make sure the boys didn't try to kill themselves again.

Melanie came up behind Jacob and was surprised to see that it was a girl instead of Paul. She stood beside her brother and looked at the strange girl on their front step. Her wavy, brown hair was windblown, and her cheeks were flushed a bright pink. Melanie didn't know if that was from fighting with Jacob or the warm breeze outside. If she could describe her in one word, it would be plain.

The girl looked back at Melanie equally confused with her presence.

"Who is it, Jake?" Jacob immediately wrapped an arm around her blanket covered shoulders in case she needed help staying upright.

"Mel, you shouldn't be out of bed," Jacob groaned, but seeing that she didn't plan of leaving, he gave in and introduced them. "Mel, this is Bella Swan. I told you about her." Melanie immediately narrowed her eyes at the teenage girl. This was the girl that stole her brother's heart and tore it up before throwing it back at him? She never wanted to hit another person so badly in her life.

"What is she doing here?" Melanie hissed. Even though Bella could have answered her herself, Melanie chose to ask Jacob instead.

"I was just getting around to finding out," Jacob replied.

"And who are _you_?!" Bella exclaimed, looking Melanie dead in the eyes. "Are you Jake's new girlfriend or something?" Melanie's jaw almost dropped at the accusation, but in a moment of pure pettiness, she decided to play along with Bella's ill based conclusions.

"What's it to you?" Jacob's eyebrows raised, but he didn't say anything to contraindicate what Melanie said. He also wanted to see where she was headed with the ruse.

"I'm his best friend!" Her voice was starting to grate on Melanie's ears, but she wasn't done with Bella yet.

"I highly doubt that. After everything you put him through, I'm surprised you even had the guts to show your face around here." Bella looked offended, but Melanie could care less. Her reaction didn't faze Melanie in the slightest.

"Jake, how can you just stand there and let her talk to me like that? Why are you going out with an awful girl like her?" Bella pointed a bony finger in Melanie's face and she was almost tempted to break it.

"Awful? Have-"

"Enough! Bella, I'm not going out with Melanie. She is my sister!" Jacob said, quickly stopping any fighting from happening. Bella's eyes nearly doubled in size when she realized who exactly she was insulting. Melanie felt a sense of smug joy when the light bulb finally clicked on in her head.

"I'm Melanie Black, Jake's older sister. Nice to meet you," Melanie said with a sickly sweet smile on her face. After tormenting her brother and playing childish games with his emotions, she didn't feel bad at all doing the same back to her.

"You never told me you had another sister," Bella accused, looking back at Jacob.

"You never asked about the rest of my family," Jacob sighed and rubbed a hand across his tired face. Melanie knew he just wanted to go to sleep so she decided to end things with Bella so he could turn in.

"What are you doing here, Bella?" She asked.

"I just want to talk to Jacob again and see how he was doing," Bella told her, trying to be nice and make up for how she acted a few minutes ago. Melanie held back an eye roll and crossed her arms.

"I know you know about the pack and what Jacob does considering who you are letting into your bed. So I'm going to tell you that Jacob just got done patrolling and needs to sleep before he kills over. Besides, I don't need you trying weasel your way back into my brother's life now that he's finally gotten over you and moved on," Melanie snapped. Bella flinched and recoiled back at her harsh tone and searing words.

"Over me?"

"You heard me. He's done with you and no longer has any feelings for you. Maybe he can still see you as a friend, but things won't be how they used to be. So please leave now before I have you escorted off our property," Melanie explained. Bella turned to Jacob, waiting for him to deny what his sister just told her, but he avoided her eyes and looked down at their worn welcome mat.

"You said you loved me," Bella whimpered, trying to get him to react to her.

"And you said you would always choose Edward over me. How can you expect me to keep waiting on you, Bella? I don't want to be in second place anymore; I want someone who will love me back. I don't want to keep fighting for someone who won't return my feelings," He told her. Bella stood there for a second and took everything in before stepping back and running to her beat up truck.

"Good job, Jake. I know it doesn't feel like it now, but this is good for you. Go get some sleep," Melanie whispered to him. She took one more look at Bella and closed the front door. Jacob helped her back to her room before disappearing into his without another word.

Melanie knew Jacob was hurting, but she was proud of him. He didn't need that leech lover keeping her claws sunk deep into his heart. He needed to move on and find a nice girl to imprint on and love. Someone that would make him happy like Paul makes her happy.

Melanie shifted in bed and winced. She shouldn't have strained herself so much after Carlisle told her to stay in bed. Rummaging through her nightstand drawer, she looked for the pill bottle she tossed in there last night. Grabbing two pills out, she popped them in her mouth and drank some of the water she had on the nightstand. She laid back and listened to the silence in her house and willed Paul to finish his patrol faster and come back to her.

 **A/N: Let me know what you guys think! I loathe Bella. She actually ruined the series for me which is weird because she is the main character. But seeing the movies with Kristen Stewart made me hate her even more. I love the supporting characters, but I don't think I will ever be able to take Bella seriously and see her as anything other than a whiny, clingy imp of a girl...**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Thank you for all the feedback! You guys are amazing! I love getting the notifications that I have new followers and people favoriting my stories. Let me know what you guys think about this chapter. I threw in a little romance in there ;)**

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"I'm so ready to get these stupid things out! They're so itchy," Melanie complained as she and Paul walked towards his truck. Paul laughed as he helped her step into the truck and closed the door behind her.

It was finally time to go see Carlisle and have the stitches taken out. He was also going to go over what Melanie needed to do now for recovery and make sure she was healing properly.

"I know you don't like being around the Cullens, but thank you for coming with me." Melanie said once Paul was in the truck with her.

"It's not like I'd let you go by yourself," Paul grumbled as he pulled out onto the road to head into Forks.

"Still, it means something to me," She told him and kissed his cheek as he drove. Paul fought back a grin and drove them the twenty five minute drive into Forks to see Carlisle.

Paul pulled his truck into a spot in the hospital parking lot and got out to help Melanie down. She grabbed his hand and shimmied out of the lifted cab. Men and their trucks...

"Let's get this over with," He grumbled and held Melanie's hand as they walked into the building. Melanie went up to the receptionist desk and told the woman her appointment time.

"Take a seat over there and someone will come get you soon."

Melanie and Paul sat down in the comfortable chairs in the lobby and waited for a nurse to come get them. Melanie squeezed Paul's hand and leaned back against the cushion. She was feeling much better than before; she almost felt completely back to normal. Most of her energy returned, and she was ready to start doing normal activities again.

"Melanie Black!" A nurse called from an open doorway. Melanie stood up with Paul in tow and follow the nurse to an empty room.

"Take a seat. Dr. Cullen will be in shortly," She told them with a soft smile and closed the door behind her. Melanie sat on the hard bench and tapped her foot impatiently against one of the metal legs.

"Relax, Mel. We'll be done here soon," Paul chuckled and leaned against the table. He crossed his arms and closed his eyes, listening for the vampire doctor. Melanie smiled and stopped her fidgeting.

There was a knock on the door before Carlisle opened it and let himself in.

"Melanie, you're looking well. How do you feel?" He asked and walked in closer.

"Much better. The pain is gone; it's just a little tender now. And the stitches are pretty annoying." Carlisle held in a laugh and nodded.

"Well, let's see about taking those out-" Both Carlisle and Paul tensed for a moment before the hospital room door slammed open.

"Carlisle, she's bitching again and I don't know what-" The tall, brunette man froze and took in the occupants in the room. His eyes landed on Paul and a sneer formed over his lips. Melanie took in the man and noticed his pale complexion and golden eyes. Eyes just like Carlisle's.

"I thought the room smelled like wet dog."

"Better than the smell of another leech stinking up the room," Paul growled, taking a step closer to the other man and away from Melanie.

"What're you doing here, mutt?" The vampire snarled, lip pulling back in anger. Paul went to take another step, but Melanie reached out and grabbed his bicep.

"Paul, calm down. As soon as Carlisle is done we can leave," Melanie mumbled, eyeing the stranger in the room. He was clearly a vampire and knew about what Paul was, but she wasn't too sure what his relation to Carlisle was or why he decided to barge into their room.

"Melanie, this is one of my adopted sons, Emmett. Emmett, this is Melanie Black, Jacob's sister and Paul's girlfriend. You can wait in my office, and we can talk as soon as I'm done here," Carlisle offered, but Emmett made no move to leave. He stayed where he was, eyeing the couple with Carlisle.

Melanie looked towards Emmett and nodded a hello to him. He just stared at them, still as a statue. It would have unnerved her if she didn't know what he truly was.

Breathing a deep sigh of resignation, Carlisle pulled a curtain near the bed to shield most of Melanie from view.

"Let's get those stitches out. I apologize for Emmett's behavior; he's very bull headed," Carlisle whispered the last part. Melanie just nodded and let Carlisle lift her shirt to expose her wounds. She leaned back on the bench so her lower half was covered by the curtain, but she could still see around it to where Paul was standing facing Emmett.

"Why does she have stitches?"

"None of your fucking business," Paul snapped. Emmett smirked slowly and crossed his arms, leaning back against the wall.

"Lost control again, huh?" Melanie swore she could hear Paul's teeth grinding, his body visibly shaking again.

"Yeah, and what about you? Your wife bitching you out again?" Paul growled back. Emmett frowned and pushed himself off the wall.

"Shut up, mutt."

Melanie glanced away from the two bickering boys and back to Carlisle. He rolled his eyes and continued taking out her stitches.

"Emmett," Carlisle called.

"Paul," Melanie warned. Paul glared at Emmett one more time before walking over to Melanie and holding her hand.

"Let's not get into a fight with my doctor's son, okay?"

"Mel, it's none of his fucking business why we're here." Paul looked over his shoulder to Emmett and his smug face.

"Just ignore him. I want to go back home just as much as you do." Paul groaned and turned away from Emmett again. He watched Carlisle finish removing all the stitches and lower Melanie's shirt back down.

"That should do it. Just take it easy these next two weeks and then you should be fine. Wash the area gently and pat it dry." Carlisle helped Melanie stand up.

"Thank you for all your help," Melanie said once she was standing and Carlisle pulled the curtain open again. Paul took her hand once more and pulled her to the door, wanting to get out of the room full of leeches.

As they passed Emmett, he took a sharp intake of breathe and reached out slowly as if to touch Melanie. Paul pulled her behind him within a couple seconds of noticing Emmett's movements. He watched the vampire's eyes bleed from their golden hue to a solid black.

Emmett swallowed thickly and closed his outstretched hand into a fist, letting it fall back to his side. Melanie could feel how tense Paul was as he tried to block her from the vampire's view.

"You uh smell pretty good for a mutt's girl," Emmett grumbled and cleared his throat. Paul let a growl slip past his lips, his body trembling in anger at Emmett's soft confession.

"Don't you fucking touch her or even come near her again. Treaty be damned, I will kill you," Paul threatened darkly. Carlisle was already intervening and stepping between the two to push Emmett further away. Paul gave one last glare before turning, grabbing Melanie's arm, and pulling her out of the room.

Melanie was more than happy to leave with Paul, but the harsh grip on her arm made her wince in pain. Paul was too angry to notice and only focused on getting her outside and back into his truck. He helped her in and climbed in on his side quickly, his knuckles stark white from holding the steering wheel so tightly.

"Paul, calm down. Please," Melanie pleaded. She wanted to reach out to him, but his shaking made her think twice. She didn't want to end up in the way like last time if he phased without warning.

"How can I fucking relax when that bloodsucker thinks you smell good?" He growled and threw the truck into gear, pulling out of the lot. Paul floored the gas and peeled out onto the road to head back to La Push. Trees zipped past them at a dizzying rate, and Melanie's stomach churned uneasily.

"Paul, slow down-"

"I don't want you going anywhere near him. Don't even go into Forks without someone with you." Melanie's heart was in her throat. She clutched the handle above the door like a life line and looked at Paul again.

"Paul! Slow down! You're scaring me." Paul slammed on the brakes and luckily, there wasn't anyone behind them or on the road near them. He put the truck in park and covered his face with his hands. Looking up at Melanie sadly, he undid her seat belt and pulled her over the center console and into his lap facing him.

"I'm sorry," He mumbled into her neck, his arms wrapped around her waist like a security blanket. Melanie took a deep breath and calmed her racing heart before cradling his head in her hands and kissing his temple.

"Paul, you have nothing to worry about. I'm not going to see Emmett again because I have no reason to. And if I ever have to go to Forks, I'll get you or one of the guys to come with me." Paul nodded and kissed her neck softly, letting his lips linger on her warm skin. Melanie shivered at the sensation and tilted her head further, giving Paul better access.

Paul nipped the sensitive skin with his teeth and peppered the surrounding area with open mouth kisses. Melanie arched in his hold, pushing her pelvis into his roughly. Growling low in his throat, Paul tightened his arms around her and held Melanie still so he could grind up against her, letting her feel just how hard he was getting for her. Small sparks of pleasure filled Melanie's belly as she pressed back down against him, seeking more friction.

"Paul," She moaned, moving in to kiss him. Trailing one hand up from her waist, Paul fisted it at the base of her skull in her long, brown locks. He kissed her thoroughly, leaving her breathless when he finally pulled back.

"I'm never going to let anyone hurt you," He whispered and kissed her again. Melanie held onto him tightly, not wanting to let go of the sweet, overprotective man in front of her.

"Paul," She breathed, "We need to get back." He groaned, letting his head drop onto her shoulder. His aching member twitching against her, unsatisfied and wanting more. But he knew she was right. If they didn't get back soon, Jacob would end up sending a search party for them. Melanie pecked his lips one last time and moved back into her own seat.

"Tease," He mumbled without any real malice and put the truck back into drive to go home. Melanie just grinned, happy to see him more relaxed than before. Leaning back against the seat, Melanie let herself stare out the window and think.

Paul was a hot head. No way around that. But she didn't fear him. She feared some of his actions, like his phasing or erratic behavior, but she didn't fear him as a person. Because she knew that Paul would never intentionally hurt her, and he would hate himself if he ever hurt her again. She wondered if she forgave him too easily for what he did to her, but Melanie just smiled.

She didn't have it in her to stay mad at him. Was that the doing of the imprint? There was no way to know for sure, but in her heart Melanie knew that she would always forgive Paul because he would always have her best interests in mind.

"We're back." His deep voice brought her out of her musings, and she saw her family's small, red house in front of them. Jacob was opening the door and walking out to greet them.

"How did it go?"

"Good. Carlisle said everything was fine, and I'll be back to normal in about two weeks." Paul closed the truck door behind her and followed his imprint into her home. Jacob eyed Paul and noticed his slightly tensed shoulders. He narrowed his eyes and looked back at his sister.

"What else happened?"

"Nothing, everything was fine," Melanie retorted. The last thing she wanted was Jacob to get upset and fuel Paul's fire. She just got him to calm down, she didn't want him to get worked up again.

"It doesn't look like nothing. Paul's tense as a board and you won't look me in the eye."

Melanie rolled her eyes and turned to face her brother. "Happy now?" She asked with a raised eyebrow. Jacob snorted and turned to Paul.

"Did Carlisle say something else?"

"No, Emmett was there. The big one. He told Melanie she smelled good on the way out," Paul seethed, clenching his fists. So much for not working him up again.

"He what?" Jacob asked, voice raising in anger.

"Will you two get a grip? Nothing happened! He made a stupid comment to upset Paul. Come talk to me when you two get in control of yourselves," Melanie huffed and stomped to her room. She slammed the door shut and grabbed her sketch book.

"Stupid wolves and their stupid overreactions," She grumbled and moved to her window seat. Throwing the window open, she was still mumbling to herself as she sat on the pillowed bench and looked outside. The warm, summer breeze rustled her hair and helped calm her down. She took a deep breath and leaned back against the window frame.

Melanie was sketching the treeline of their yard when she heard her door open softly. Jacob poked his head in to make sure it was safe before joining her.

"Sam came by and took Paul with him. He wanted to talk to him about your visit with the lee- Carlisle. Mel, I'm sorry for how I acted. I just really don't trust the Cullens, and for one of them to say that to you... It makes my blood boil. I want to punch him in his arrogant face." Melanie smiled and patted the bench, telling him to sit down.

Jacob slowly sat down next to her and waited for her to say something.

"Let's just forget about it, please. I don't want to keep fighting about them or what they may or may not do." Jacob nodded and looked outside. "Can we go to Port Angeles tomorrow? I haven't been since I moved back, and I miss all the shops up there."

"Sure, I don't have to patrol tomorrow. And I'm sicking of just sitting around this place," Jacob mumbled and watched Melanie start to draw again.

"Are you really going to the University of Washington in the fall?" He asked out of the blue. Melanie set her pencil down and looked at her younger brother. "Of course I am. It's literally five minutes south of Forks and like a thirty minute drive from here. It's not like I'm moving out; I'll be commuting from here," She told him with a smile.

"I guess I just don't want you out of my reach. Keep in mind that some areas of Forks are off limits to the pack because of the treaty."

"I got it, Jake. I'll be super careful," She teased, "I'll make sure not to get a papercut in class."

"I'm being serious," He told her.

"Me too. Jake, you need to stop worrying so much. Come on, I'll make us some lunch."


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Huge thank you to Trickster's Daughter24 for helping me with some of Washington's geography. If y'all don't know, I am from Texas. I've lived in the south my entire life so the only things I know about northern states are from Google. When I googled universities near Forks, WA, the University of Washington popped up, and Google told me it was only a few minutes drive from Forks. Unfortunately for me, I didn't actually click on it to look at the details. It was just a research center for the University of Washington, not the actual campus. Trickster's Daughter24 was kind enough to let me know where the real university was located and how long it would take to get there. So overlooking this error, I'm going to keep writing the story like the university is close by, but just know it's actually not XD**

 **Anywho, on with the newest chapter. Leave a review and let me know what you think!**

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The next morning saw Jacob and Melanie waking up early enough to make the drive to Port Angeles for a little retail therapy. Melanie grimaced as the rabbit's engine made another rattling noise as they bustled down the highway. Looking over at Jacob, she saw he was without a care, his head bobbing up and down to the song playing lightly over the stereo.

"Are you sure this thing won't crap out on us before we get there?" Melanie grumbled and shifted when the rabbit made another popping noise. Jacob glanced at her and snorted, easing into the left lane to pass a slower car.

"I built this baby from scratch; no way she's gonna die on us," Jacob replied, voice full of confidence as he gently rubbed the steering wheel with the palm of his hand. Melanie tried to hold back her eye roll; she'd forgotten how obsessed with cars Jacob was when they were growing up. "She just needs a for things tightened," Jacob added after another creaking noise was heard over the engine.

"That makes me feel better," She groaned and looked out the window. The drive to the city wasn't too terribly long, but she hated being stuck in a vehicle for long periods of time. Blame it on where she grew up. With the woods in her backyard, it was hard to stay inside their small house all day. Her move to Chicago was a shock that took a long time to get over. She found herself milling around her aunt's apartment in boredom on more than one occasion.

Jacob pulled off the highway and slowed his speed as they entered the city. Melanie told him the stores she wanted to visit so Jacob found a parking spot in a small shopping area with several stores within walking distance of each other.

"Where are we going to first?" He asked as he climbed out of the rabbit and joined his sister on the sidewalk. Melanie pointed to a small art supply shop and grinned.

"And why are we going in there?" He groaned but followed Melanie into the store. When she said she wanted to go shopping, he thought they would be going to stores he liked as well, not looking at... paintbrushes?

"Because I'm running out of frames for my drawings, and some of my paintbrushes are getting old." Melanie fingered a few simple, black frames that matched the ones she already had on her wall.

"You gonna put more pictures of Paul on your wall?" Jacob said, slight irritation in his voice. Melanie glanced over her shoulder at him with a raised brow. She thought they were getting over the childish feud between them, but it looked like Jacob still had a ways to go.

"What about it? I have some of you too," Melanie quipped and put a couple of the frames into the shopping basket hanging in the crook of her arm. Jacob snorted and walked away to the other side of the store. Taking a deep breath, Melanie moved onto to the paint brushes and thought about which of hers needed replacing. Grabbing the ones she needed, Melanie headed to the register and paid for the supplies she wanted.

"Ready to go?" Jacob asked, appearing by her side again. He looked relaxed once more, and Melanie hoped he stayed that way.

"Yeah, I'm pretty hungry. Let's get something to eat," Melanie said as they walked outside.

"There's a diner right down the street that's pretty good."

"Go get us a table. I just want to step in here real fast and look at something," Melanie told him, pointing to a small boutique that caught her eye. Jacob hesitated and looked from the boutique to the diner.

"Jake. Go. I can hear your stomach from here," His sister laughed. Jacob flushed and nodded before jogging down the sidewalk to the classic styled diner.

Melanie watched him enter the diner before turning to walk into the store. She'd seen leather bands and bracelets in the window and thought of Paul so she wanted to check them out. They'd been together for over a month and missed that first month anniversary with her healing from the phasing incident. She wanted to make up for it, and she'd been looking for something to get for him. They hadn't been together very long, but she wanted to find something he would like.

She walked down an aisle and found several dark brown leather bracelets. One immediately stood out to her. It had an Aztec design carved into the leather. The design took up most of the bracelet and led to two wolves facing each other. Smiling at how perfect it was, Melanie turned to go pay for it and almost ran straight into someone's chest.

"Melanie? What are you doing here?" The small brunette froze when she heard Emmett's voice. Slowly looking up, her brown eyes met his golden orbs, much brighter today than they were yesterday at the hospital. An uneasy feeling settle in the pit of her stomach, but she forced herself and breathe and answer him.

"I'm shopping for some art supplies with Jacob."

"That's cool. Are you into art or something?" Emmett asked, shoving his hands into his jean pockets.

"Or something," Melanie said curtly and took a step back, putting more space in between them. She didn't want to talk to him after what happened with him and Paul, but she also didn't want to cause anymore problems with the vampire coven.

"Uh how's your injury?"

"Good. Carlisle is a great doctor."

"How old are you?"

"Eighteen."

"Are you going to college in the fall?"

"What is this? Twenty questions?" Melanie finally snapped. She immediately regretted it when she saw how his face fell.

"Yes, I'm going to the University of Washington," She answered and turned to go to the check out. Emmett perked back up and was hot on her heels.

"Rosalie and I were thinking about going there too," He told her as she paid for the bracelet and got it gift wrapped.

"Rosalie?"

"My wife." Melanie took the wrapped box and turned back to Emmett, giving him her attention. She'd heard Paul mention a wife yesterday, but it didn't really click until she heard Emmett confirm it. He looked like he was the same age as her so it was hard to picture him married, but as a vampire, he had plenty of time to find that special someone.

Melanie's thoughts got away from her, and she started to feel bad for vampires. They never got to experience growing old with the one they love. Sure, they get forever together, but forever gets old. She didn't even think they could have kids, so they were missing out on several life experiences because of their lack of humanity.

"You must really love her to be together for so long," Melanie finally said. The two were standing next to the door to leave, but it looked like Emmett wasn't ready to go back outside yet. This was a strange experience for Melanie; it was the longest she'd ever spoken with a vampire aside from Carlisle.

"I love her, but we've been fighting so much lately. It's hard to keep putting in effort if I feel like she doesn't care anymore," Emmett confided in her. Not expecting the large vampire to be so open with her, Melanie stopped eyeing the door and fully faced him. It was the first time Melanie thought that vampires could have the same problems that she could.

"You need to talk to her, Emmett. If you truly love her and want to work things out, just talk to her. Why give it all up without trying to salvage it?" Emmett nodded and smiled a little.

"She's just so hard to talk to sometimes. If you met her, you would know what I'm talking about," He tried to joke. "Try, Emmett," Melanie repeated, "If she's worth it, you need to try."

Emmett opened his mouth like he was going to say something else, but the door opened and another couple entered next to them. Melanie's content mood plummeted when she recognized the woman who entered. Bella. She had her arms wrapped around a copper headed man's arm; the sight of her made Melanie's stomach churn.

"Emmett, there are you. We've been looking for you," Bella told him, her voice grating on Melanie's ears. A feeling of hatred filled her belly and thoughts of her last encounter with the teen came back to mind. Her whiny voice and pathetic pleading to Jacob...

"Bella," Melanie said lowly, catching the other girl's attention. Bella tightened her grip on the man's arm, Edward she presumed, the one Bella left Jacob for. It would make sense. He was letting her cling to his arm like a small child would to a mother's leg on the first day of preschool.

"I saw Melanie through the window and stopped in to see her," Emmett explained. Melanie tried, but she couldn't take her eyes off Bella; her thoughts running rampant in distaste for her.

"Don't say that about her," Edward snapped, glowering at Melanie. She turned to him surprised but could only guess that he was using his mind reading abilities Jacob told her about. Melanie was about to tell him to stay out of her head, but Emmett beat her to the punch.

"Don't talk like that to Melanie." Edward looked at his brother in confusion before having an awe moment. He tsked and cocked his head at his brother.

"You're such an idiot, Em," Edward mumbled and whispered something to Bella. It was too soft for Melanie to hear it, but whatever it was had Emmett tensing. Melanie's cellphone ringing broke the silence and she quickly answered it when she saw it was Jacob calling.

"Yeah, Jake?" Bella dug her fingers into Edward's sleeve when she heard her ex-best friend's name.

"Mel, where are you? I already ordered and the food should be here soon. Don't make me eat alone like a loner," Jacob groaned from the other end, and Melanie smiled at his complaining.

"What did you order me?"

"Chicken tenders. Now hurry up."

"Okay I'll be there soon-"

"What're you doing anyway?" Jacob asked, cutting her off. Melanie thought about how to answer him. She didn't want to lie, but she also didn't want him to get up and leave the diner to come find her.

"I ran into Bella. I'm almost done and will see you soon."

"Wait what? Bella?"

"I'll see you soon, Jake. Make sure I have a Dr. Pepper too." Melanie hung up and faced the group in front of her. "Not that this hasn't been riveting, but my brother is waiting for me. Emmett, just do what I told you; I hope everything works out." Emmett smiled down at her and nodded. Melanie walked past Bella and Edward to get to the door, but Bella stopped her before she was able to open it.

"Melanie, about Jake... I'm-"

"Bella, nothing you can say will make up for how you treated him and threw him away when you didn't need him anymore. Do us all a favor and stay away. Jacob doesn't need you in his life anymore." She didn't wait to hear what Bella had to say and left. Melanie took long strides, trying to get to the diner faster; Jacob was bound to have questions for her.

She walked inside and spotted Jacob sitting in a booth near the back. Sliding in in front of him, she smiled at all the food in front of her but frowned when she saw her brother hadn't touched any of it yet.

"Jake-"

"You smell like leeches," He said, surprisingly calmly. Melanie sighed and took a sip of her drink before explaining what happened to her.

"I ran into Emmett, Edward and Bella. I didn't want you to get upset and come find me and cause a scene. Everything was fine," Melanie told him and picked at her chicken. Jacob growled lowly and looked out the window.

"Emmett was there? Did he say anything to you again?"

"No, he was on his best behavior. He even stuck up for me when Edward told me to stop bad mouthing Bella in my head," Melanie laughed. Jacob's lips twitched like he wanted to smile, but he stopped himself.

"Mel, you know Paul doesn't want you alone with any of them. Neither do I; you need to tell me if they come around you," Jacob told her, looking into her big eyes. Melanie reached across the table to squeeze one of his hands.

"I wasn't in any danger, Jake. If anything I was just annoyed to be around Bella again. But can we please keep this between us. You know how much Paul overreacts; I don't want him to get upset over nothing," Melanie pleaded. Jacob took a deep breath but finally nodded.

"Thanks lil bro. Now let's eat before all of this gets cold!" Melanie laughed and started eating some of her fries. Jacob hesitated but his angry stomach growled again and told him to dig in to his multiple cheeseburgers.

"Where do you want to go after this?" Jacob asked around a mouthful of food. Melanie looked at the window and saw Emmett walking with his brother and Bella. He looked up and their eyes met. Jacob followed her line of sight and frowned at Emmett.

"I want to go home. I have everything I need," Melanie told him. Jacob looked away from Emmett and nodded. Melanie just wanted to see Paul; he made everything better. Emmett didn't scare her, and she never felt like she was in danger when they were talking, but she still had an uneasy feeling when he was near her. Now she just wanted to feel Paul's arms wrapped around her, his lips on her temple.

"The sooner we get back home, the better," Jacob grunted and finished off his food. He got up to pay the tab while Melanie gathered her bags. Looking back out the window, she was happy to see Emmett was no where in sight, but she still wanted to go home.

She and Jacob walked back to the rabbit and started the drive back home. It was much quieter this time, and Melanie refrained from making any comments about the strange noises coming from under the hood. It wasn't until they were nearing the reservation that Melanie broke the silence.

"Did you see Paul at all since yesterday? I didn't tell him we were going to Port Angeles," Melanie suddenly realized. Jacob glanced at her from the side of his eye as he turned to drive into the reservation.

"Nah, but he's probably at Sam's house waiting for you to get back. I didn't say anything to him about us leaving, but I'm sure he realized we were together. He might even be waiting at our house." The two pulled up to the garage beside the house, and sure enough, there was Paul. He was sitting on the front porch swing, waiting for them to park.

"I was wondering where you were," Paul greeted her, sweeping her up into his arms once they were close enough. He spun her around and kissed her cheek. Melanie was happy that he wasn't upset before being left out of the loop on her plans.

"Stupid imprints," Jacob grumbled as he passed them to go inside. Melanie was relieved that Jacob didn't say anything about who she ran into while they were gone.

"Where were you?" Paul asked, ignoring Jacob and grabbed the few bags from Melanie. She made sure the gift was hidden inside one of the bags so her boyfriend wouldn't be able to see it.

"We went to Port Angeles to get a few things. I completely forgot to tell you," Melanie told him with a small frown. Paul grinned and leaned down, softly kissing her on the lips now that Jacob was out of sight.

"That's okay; I'm just happy you're here now." Paul walked inside with Melanie and set her bags on the bed. Melanie pushed them away and had Paul sit next to her.

"Do you have any plans for tomorrow?" Paul asked, running his thumb along one of Melanie's wrists, sending shivers down her spine. She shook her head and moved in closer, wanting to feel Paul's warmth. Seeing that she wanted to cuddle, Paul grinned and leaned back on her bed, pulling her down on top of him. Melanie rested her head on his chest, listening to his heartbeat. Their legs were intertwined and Paul's inner wolf was purring in happiness being so close to his imprint.

"Nope, no plans," Melanie told him and snuggled her face into his neck, her soft lips grazing his pulse point. Paul swallowed thickly and played with the ends of her hair.

"The pack is getting together tomorrow at Sam's to have a cookout and talk about some pack things. I wanted you to come." Melanie raised up and smiled down at Paul.

"Of course I'll be there," She told him and leaned down to seal her lips with his.

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 **A/N: Sorry for any errors I didn't catch! Let me know what you think!**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Guys I am in awe from the amount of feedback I've gotten for this story! Over 100 favorites and 150+ follows! Thank you so much. I love hearing back from y'all after each chapter.**

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"Babe, you almost ready?" Paul called and knocked on the bathroom door. Melanie huffed and ran her fingers through her hair one more time. Satisfied, she pulled open the door and met Paul's bemused face.

"You can't rush perfection, Paul," Melanie commented and went into her room to grab her phone. Paul held back his eye roll and grinned, waiting by her bedroom door for her to join him. Jacob had left several minutes ago, and Paul was getting antsy and wanted to get to Sam's for the cookout. The brunette bounced out of her room and grabbed his hand to drag him down the hall.

"Come on, Paul. We need to get going," She scolded him like she wasn't the one who'd taken half an hour to do her hair. Paul just let her lead him out the door, Billy calling after them to have a good time.

"Is the entire pack going to be there?" Melanie asked as they walked hand in hand down the street. A light breeze picked up a few strands of her hair, and Paul watched them twirl around her face.

"They should be," Paul said, rubbing his chin, "I think Jared might be the only one missing. He and Kim were talking about taking a weekend trip somewhere." Melanie paused and chanced a shy glance over at her boyfriend. "I want to take a weekend trip too."

"You do?" Paul asked, looking down into her big, brown eyes. Melanie nodded and looked away, feeling a little embarrassed. Paul grinned, seeing how uncomfortable she was telling him what she wanted. "We should plan something before you go back to school." Melanie whipped her head back up to look at him and beamed.

"Thank you!" She pecked him quickly on the lips and he listened to her ramble about all the places she wanted to visit. His heart felt light and content knowing he could make her so happy. His inner wolf hummed at his imprint's joy. They both looked up as they neared Sam's house and heard the raised voices coming from the backyard. They walked around the side of the house to the open yard behind it and saw the guys horsing around with each other. Sam was watching over the grill, beer in hand, looking on as Seth tried to tackle Embry.

"I'm going to see if Emily needs any help in the kitchen," Melanie told his softly and disappeared into the kitchen from the back door. Paul walked up to Sam and accepted the offered beer. He took a swig and looked at his pack mates. They were all laughing, sipping on their sodas because most of them were under 21, and catching up with each other.

* * *

"Hey, Emily. Need any help in here?" Melanie asked as she entered the kitchen. "Melanie! Thank goodness you're here!" Emily hugged her and handed her an extra apron.

"Those boys are trying to eat the food faster than I can make it. Could you help make some patties so we can take them out to Sam?" Melanie nodded and grabbed the raw beef. She started combining it in a bowl with a mixture of seasonings.

"How long have you been cooking?" Emily blew out a puff of air to move a strand of hair out from the middle of her face.

"Since ten I think. I made snacks thinking it would tide the guys over until lunch was ready, but they were gone within half an hour." Just then the door opened and Jacob started to walk in, looking for anything to eat.

"Nuh uh! Out! You can eat when it's ready. Tell the rest of them to stay out too!" Melanie snapped. Jacob held up his hands and slowly backed out of the house. Emily laughed and thanked her for helping with the meal.

"How are you feeling? It looks like you've been healing well," Emily commented as she popped more of her famous muffins into the oven.

"Carlisle said I am almost done. One more appointment with him just to check the area and I should be able to everything I was doing before. I'm just ready to swim again," Melanie laughed.

"Paul must be relieved!"

"Very. He felt so bad, but he's almost back to normal now too," Melanie informed her and finished placing the patties onto a platter. "I'm going to run these out to Sam." Emily nodded and grabbed the extra food to take outside. She put the chips, dip, cookies, and veggie platter on the outdoor table.

"Sam, I have your burgers," Melanie grinned and held up the platter.

"Finally! Let's get this going!" Sam laughed and took it from her to start putting the patties on the hot grill. Melanie joined Paul and took the soda he handed her. He kissed her sweetly and led her over the some of the outdoor chairs. Sitting down, Paul pulled her down onto his lap. She leaned back into his chest and listened to the men around her talking. She felt Paul's chest rumble every time he laughed at something one of his brother's said.

Emily brought the muffins out and joined the group outside. She was saying something to Sam and flicked his ear, making the much larger man flinch back from her. She scolded him about something and then kissed his cheek while he flipped the burgers.

Melanie smiled and snuggled further into her man. They heard Sam call out that the food was ready, and chaos ensued once more.

* * *

"Baby, you want to get out of here?" Paul whispered in her ear. Melanie opened her heavy eyes and nodded. She was resting against Paul's side and feeling the effects of her full stomach and the setting sun.

"Mel and I are heading out. See you guys later," Paul told the group, helping Melanie up from her seat. She saw her brother eyeing them, but he wisely kept his mouth shut. A chorus of goodbyes followed the couple as they walked back to the front of the house and onto the main street. Melanie raised her arms up over her head to stretch while she yawned.

"Stay with me tonight," Paul offered as they walked. Melanie glanced back at him as they walked.

"At your house?"

"Mhm."

"Isn't your mom going to be there?"

"She's working tonight," Paul told her and intertwined their hands to lead her to his house. Melanie just smiled and leaned in closer to his warmth. When they reached Paul's house, he let go of her hand to fish his key ring out and unlock the front door. Opening the door wide, Melanie walked in first and glanced around. She'd never seen the house he shared with his mother before, but it was definitely homey and traditional to how most of the houses on the reservation were decorated.

"I need to meet your mom soon," Melanie commented and turned around to watch Paul lock the house back up.

"She's been asking to meet you too. Maybe we can all go get lunch tomorrow once she wakes up and you get back from meeting with Carlisle," Paul offered and wrapped his arms around Melanie's waist. "That sounds like it could work," She mumbled, glancing down to his lips.

"What's wrong, Black? Cat got your tongue?" Paul teased, noticing her subtle looks. Melanie blushed lightly and wrapped her arms around his neck, one of her hands moving to cup the back of his head. "Something like that," She whispered and brought their lips together sweetly. Paul groaned and brought her closer to his chest so he could deepen the kiss.

"I think I'm falling for you," Paul breathed against her lips once they broke apart. Melanie grinned and tucked her face into the side of his neck. "I fell for you a while back," She confessed. Heart pounding at her words, Paul quickly slid an arm down behind her knees and swung his tiny girlfriend up into his arms. Melanie's soft laughter bounced off the walls and echoed in his ears.

"Let me make love to you," Paul murmured, already stalking to his room. Melanie bit her bottom lip in anticipation and nodded. Paul shimmied his door open and lovingly laid her down across his bedding. Resting one knee on the bed, Paul leaned forward and ran his fingers lightly over Melanie's thighs until they ghosted under the hem of her top. Their eyes met briefly as Paul push her top up, revealing her tanned breasts covered by her bra.

Paul's fingers curled into the cups of her bra and dragged them down. The lack of tan lines had Paul swallowing heavily. He slowly leaned forward and licked one of her dark nipples, teasing it until it pebbled under his lips. Breath catching in her throat, Melanie watched Paul tenderly cover her other breast with his warm palm, his fingers quickly finding her nipple and pinching it.

Her skin prickled under his touch, stoking the building fire in her belly. Melanie wanted to squeeze her thighs together for some kind of relief, but Paul surged forward and brought a knee up between her thighs, holding pressure against her. Pressing against his knee, Melanie released a sigh and raked her nails up his shoulders and into his cropped hair.

Paul grunted in pleasure and moved his lips to place kisses down her chest to her belly. Delving his tongue into her belly button, Melanie laughed quietly and leaned up on her elbows. Paul leaned forward and smashed their lips together, his fingers making quick work of her pants. Melanie shivered and moved to unclasp her bra and throw her shirt off. Paul pulled away long enough to let her take her shirt off and then hungrily reclaimed her lips.

He tugged her pants down her legs along with her underwear. Only then did Paul move to take her naked form in. The sight of his own personal goddess laying naked in his bed left him dizzy in need. His inner wolf was growling at him to take his mate. Jean cutoffs uncomfortably tight, Paul pushed Melanie's thighs apart to expose her pinkness.

"I'm going to make you scream, Black," He growled sinfully. Melanie's heart almost stuttered out at the sound and sight of Paul throwing her legs over his shoulders and laying down between her thighs. He spread her lower lips and let the scent of her arousal fill his senses. His tongue was on her suddenly, lapping up her juices. Melanie cried out and threw her head back on the pillows, her long hair flying everywhere.

Paul had his arms hooked under each thigh so she couldn't move an inch from his pleasurable torture. There was no way to describe what she was feeling, oral sex completely foreign to her. She grabbed his short hair in her fingers and begged him not to stop, her entire body shuddering under him. Paul held back his smirk and flicked his tongue against her clit, holding her still when her body jolted against him.

"Please," She whimpered, "God, Paul." His pants got even tighter when she cried out to him, but he didn't let up. Using a free hand, he shifted to sink two fingers into her, curling them up to find her sweet spot. Gently sucking her clit, he moved his fingers until Melanie's hips lurched up. Pinning her to the bed, Paul applied more pressure with his fingers and nipped at her bundle of nerves.

"Jesus Christ!" Melanie panted, back arched. She tossed her head to the side, feeling the telling signs of her climax coming. Electricity filled her belly and her legs shook uncontrollably on Paul's shoulders. A few more strokes of his tongue had her world shattering, her body falling apart in his arms. Paul held her through the aftershocks of her climax, watching her melt into his bed.

Removing his shorts, Paul closed the distance between them again and kissed her forehead. Melanie's eyes fluttered back open and she smiled up at him almost shyly, still overcome with the pleasure he gave her. It was quiet between them, the only sound their mutual breathing. Grabbing her thigh, Paul wrapped it around his hip. Wetting his palm, he stroked himself a few times and held Melanie's eyes with his.

Pushing forward, he buried himself inside her, clenching his teeth when he felt how tight she was. Melanie let out a soft moan and gripped his biceps when he began to move and find a rhythm. He took her breath away feeling him stretch her.

Paul grabbed her hips and pulled her down to him as he snapped his up to meet her. Melanie made a strangled noise and fisted the sheets by her head, needing to hold onto the something to keep herself from getting lost in the pleasure.

Paul couldn't take his eyes off her. This girl was his imprint. His _soulmate_. His _life_. No one else would ever get to see her like this. Possessiveness coursed through him, and he had to bite back his growls.

"Fuck, Baby. You feel so fucking good. So good and all mine," He grunted huskily in her ear, nibbling on her earlobe. Melanie whimpered and released the sheets to grab for him again, her nails digging into his skin with every thrust of his hips.

"I'm yours, Paul-" He yanked her down hard, grinding into her mercilessly. "Shit, Paul. Take me. Show me I'm yours."

Paul pulled out and flipped her over effortlessly, lifting her up onto her hands and knees and slamming back into her. A scream tore from her throat, Paul filling her deeper than before. His pace was relentless, barely giving Melanie a chance to catch her breath.

"I need you to come for me again, Baby," Paul growled and reached around to circle her sensitive clit again. Melanie's moans filled the room with the sound of skin meeting skin. Arms trembling, they gave out under her and Melanie let her chest rest against the bed, Paul still keeping her hips up.

"Shit! Paul, I can't - Oh God!" Her whole jerked with her second orgasm, her inner walls clamping down around Paul, mouth open with a silent scream. Paul groaned, feeling her climax. He lost his rhythm, inching towards his own completion.

"Fuck, Baby, are you on birth control?" Melanie shook her head, unable to form words just yet, her body still tingling. Paul buried himself into her a few more times and yanked himself out, spilling his seed on her lower back. He gripped her hips, trying to steady his breathing. Melanie's eyes began to droop, body fully sated.

Carefully letting Melanie's body relax down to the bed, Paul went to his bathroom to wet a washcloth. Moving back to the bed, he cleaned Melanie up and then himself and tossed it in his laundry basket. Pulling the blankets back, he got them snuggled into bed and pulled Melanie into him. He breathed in their combined scents and decided they could shower in the morning. Melanie nuzzled into his chest, already sleeping in his arms.

Paul held her as she slept, combing a few of her chocolate curls back. His heart was still pounding. How could this girl have chosen him back? She was too good for him, but she still wanted him. Laying in bed and thinking about what the future would hold for them, Paul decided that there was no other place he would rather be.

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 **A/N: I feel like I'm still rusty writing sex scenes so sorry if it was too short for some of y'all. I'm still getting my mojo back lol I've also been crazy busy at work. So busy that all I do when I get off is sleep. I don't know if there are any nurses that read my work or anybody else that works 12 hours at a time, but maybe you can relate. I feel like I get home and sleep, then wake up and go back XD**

 **Please review and let me know what you think!**


	10. Chapter 10

"Looks like everything has healed up nicely," Carlisle commented as he lowered Melanie's t shirt back down. "The scars will fade in color over time and may even blend in more with your natural skin tone. There are several over the counter scar creams I can recommend for you."

Melanie frowned; she wasn't upset about the scarring, but she knew that Paul would be upset with himself again when he saw them. When they were intimate, she still had a few bandages covering them, but neither of them had said anything about them.

"Is there anything I can't do now?" Melanie asked as she lightly touched one of the four scars across her abdomen covered by her shirt. Carlisle shook his head and rolled his stool a little ways away from her.

"No, you can resume all your daily activities. They may feel tight for a while so just try not to overstretch them at first. Where's Paul? I thought for sure he would have come with you today; it's last time you'll have to come see me for a while after all."

"Sam is monopolizing him today. Pack stuff, male bonding, etc." Melanie mumbled, waving her hand to dismiss the statement. She was hoping Paul would come with her in case she ran into unpleasant people in Forks, but he couldn't get out of his pack duties.

"Well you'll be able to give him to good news when you get back home. Just be careful from now on; I don't want you showing up here again covered in blood." Melanie laughed softly and agreed to stay away from temperamental pack members.

Carlisle helped her off the exam table and walked with her to the door. "Here are some of those creams I told you about. See you around, Melanie," He called after handing her a sheet of paper with different scar creams. Melanie waved goodbye and walked outside to her brother's Rabbit; he let her use it to drive into Forks.

She didn't need a car in Chicago because public transportation was so big in the city, but now that she was in a more rural area, she needed to look into something to get her around town. The Rabbit still rattled and made her worry it would break down at any minute, but she was thankful Jacob let her use it.

Stopping at the one Walgreen's in town, she grabbed a few of the creams on the list and made her way back to La Push. As she was pulling up to her house, she noticed Emily running up her front porch.

"Emily, what's wrong?" Melanie asked, getting out of the car.

"Oh thank goodness you're home! Jacob and Paul are fighting about something again. They're down at first beach, and they aren't listening to anyone. Sam is out on a run or else he would have been able to order them to calm down as alpha, but I didn't know what else to do," Emily explained, out of breath and on the verge of tears.

"Let's go see what's wrong with them." Melanie dropped her bag on the porch and followed Emily to the beach. When they broke the treeline, they saw Paul sitting on Jacob's chest throwing punches towards his face. Jacob was blocking most of them and trying to buck Paul off. He managed to unseat Paul and hook him in the jaw with his fist.

Melanie looked over and saw Embry and Quil on the sidelines watching, neither of them trying to get involved.

"What are you two doing?!" Melanie screamed at her brother and boyfriend. They briefly glanced her way before Paul flipped them in the sand and put Jacob in a hold to keep him from moving. She was surprised to see that neither of them had phased yet, but the last time they fought and phased, she ended up in the hospital so she wasn't complaining about the lack of fur.

"You need to learn to stay out of my fucking business," Paul snarled in Jacob's ear, tightening his arm wrapped around Jacob's throat.

"Like hell I will; I'm going to break your arms for putting your damn hands on her," Jacob growled, tucking a leg under Paul's to shift his weight and turn the table. Melanie caught bits and pieces of what they were saying and felt her stomach drop.

"Do you guys know why they're fighting?" Melanie asked the other two pack members that were still in their right state of mind. Quil blushed a bright red and looked down at his feet. Embry sighed and wrapped an arm around her shoulder, letting her lean against him as they watched the fight.

"While we were patrolling, Paul let his mind wander. When we're phased, we can see what every one is thinking, it's how we communicate. Paul remembered what you two did after Sam's get together, and when Jacob saw, he lost it and attacked Paul. They've been like this for almost ten minutes now."

"Idiots," Melanie grumbled, wanting to bang her head against a wall. Emily snickered behind one of her hands, calmer now that she realized they weren't going to kill each other.

"If you two want to keep beating the shit out of each other, be my guest! When you're ready to act like adults, you can come find me!" Melanie yelled and turned on her heel to walk back home. As she was walking away, there were a few thuds and padding feet on the sand behind her.

"Mel wait!" She paused and turned to face both men. The others saw that all the action was over and decided to leave to give the trio the privacy they needed. "What were you thinking?" Jacob hissed, eyes still furious.

"I was thinking that I love my boyfriend and that it's none of your business what I do with him," She said just as snappy. Jacob's fists curled and he went to say something back, but Paul cut him off before he could.

"She's right, Jake. You need to stay out of it. This is between your sister and me." Jacob shook his head and stalked off, mumbling under his breath. Melanie sighed and rubbed her temples. Paul brought his hands up to rub her shoulders, but she shoved him away.

"Don't touch me right now, Paul. I'm sick of this. You two need to stop acting this way," She glared at him.

"Mel, I'm not trying to fight with him. It was an accident, and I was just trying to get him to back off. Can you say something to him? I don't want to fight with him every time I try to move us further. At this rate I'll be fighting him just so I can kiss you at our wedding."

Hearing Paul talk about their future made Melanie's heart race and her cheeks flush. Paul smirked and leaned forward to kiss her temple, testing the waters to make sure she didn't lash out at him again.

"You know, you said something about me back there," Paul murmured, changing the subject. "I said a lot of things, babe. I need you to elaborate."

"You said you loved me," He said, barely above a whisper, pulling her into his warm arms. Melanie stilled and looked into Paul's dark eyes.

"I thought you already knew that I loved you," She mumbled, closing her eyes when Paul shifted to leave soft kisses along her neck.

"Nope, you said you fell for me. Loving me is completely different." Melanie moved back from him so that she could see his face clearly when she cupped his cheeks in her smaller hands.

"I love you, Paul." She brought their lips together and kissed him sweetly.

"Good because I've loved you since the day I met you," He breathed against her lips. Melanie beamed up at him before pulling away.

"I need to go talk to Jake and get this settled."

"If he upsets you, come to my place. Or come over when you're done; you're still okay to have lunch with my mom, right?" Paul asked, reaching for her hand. She squeezed his and nodded, turning to walk back to her house to face the music. This needed to be the last time the two of them fought like that, and Jacob needed to understand that Melanie could do whatever she wanted with Paul. It wasn't like he was a random guy trying to get into her pants; she was his imprint for Heaven's sake.

Their small, red house came into view, and Melanie took a calming breath. She grabbed her discarded bag off the front porch and walked inside. Billy was in the living room watching a rerun of some ball game, but there was no sign of her livid brother.

"Welcome home," Billy called, looking over his shoulder at his youngest daughter. Melanie greeted him and kissed his cheek.

"You seen Jake?"

"Saw him storm into the garage. Seemed pretty upset about something but brushed me off when I asked," Billy told her with a shrug. Melanie nodded and told him she would go check on him and see. Leaving her bag in her room, she made her way to the garage.

Jacob had pulled the Rabbit into the garage and had the hood up while he fiddled with something.

"Hey," Melanie said softly. Jacob peeked around the hood and shook his head angrily at her. Grabbing the rag nearby, he wiped his hands off and tossed it back towards the toolbox. He stepped up to Melanie so he was towering over her. "You have a lot of explaining to do."

Melanie leveled him with a glare of her own. "Yeah, Jakey, we have a lot we need to talk about."

"Don't talk to me like that," Jacob snapped. Melanie rolled her eyes and moved to sit down in one of the plastic chairs he had set up in there. Jacob turned to face her and crossed his arms. "Start talking."

"Jake, I'm tired of this. You need to back off and stop fighting with Paul." Jacob shook his head and took a step closer to her.

"You're my sister, Mel. I don't want him all over you like that; I can't believe you two..."

"But we did Jacob! And I don't plan on stopping that part of my relationship. You would have never known about it if it weren't for your pack's form of communication. Paul and I weren't blasting it to the reservation, and he clearly wasn't bragging to the guys about it. You **have** to understand that we are imprints, and that's not changing any time soon. I love him."

"What do you know about love? You're eighteen!" Jacob snapped. Melanie felt her control slipping, the desire to hit her brother increasing every second.

" _Imprints."_ Melanie reiterated, "I know you haven't found yours yet so it might be hard for you to understand this, but Paul is it for me. I don't even find other guys attractive now. It's only Paul; there was a hole in my heart that I didn't even know I had until Paul filled it. If I suddenly didn't have him, I don't know what I would do."

"You're right, I don't have one, but I still want to protect you," Jacob nearly yelled. Melanie flinched at his rough tone, but she didn't back down. Jacob needed to hear this; he needed to get this through his thick skull.

"You don't have to protect me! I did just fine on my own in Chicago, and it hasn't changed just because I moved back here." Jacob fell silent and stared at his sister with sad eyes. Melanie didn't want to hurt him, but he was beyond reasoning with. They spent most of their lives separated, and she didn't need him trying to play the overprotective, little brother role now.

"So you don't need me, huh?" Melanie pursed her lips and shook her head. "Of course I need you, Jake. But I don't need your protection, especially not from Paul." Jacob let out a humorless chuckle and threw the closest thing to him which happened to be a smaller toolbox. It crashed into a wall and spilled its contents all over the concrete.

"Get out," He mumbled, trying to take deep breaths to calm down. Melanie didn't want to leave, they needed to come to an understanding. She didn't know what would happen to their relationship if she walked out right now, but they also needed to talk to each other without yelling.

When Jacob saw that Melanie hadn't moved, he yelled again.

"I said get the hell out!" Melanie felt the tears filling behind her eyes and finally moved to leave him alone in the garage, closing the door behind her. Once it was firmly closed, she winced when she heard more things being thrown around.

Forcing herself to move, Melanie walked down the street instead of going back inside. Billy was sure to have questions, and she didn't feel like answering them right now. Instead, she made her way to Paul's house and knocked on the door. By the time she'd gotten there, she had a handle on her emotions and didn't look like she was about to cry.

The door opened and Melanie saw an older woman, Paul's mother. She gave Melanie a warm smile, wrinkles creasing near her laugh lines.

"You must be Melanie! Come in!" She ushered the brunette inside and introduced herself. "I'm Nancy, Paul's mother."

"It's nice to finally meet you, Nancy," Melanie told her, her mood already lifting around such a bubbly person.

"I feel like I already know you though. Paul can never seem to stop talking about you; he's smitten," Nancy said, conspiratorially. Paul suddenly groaned, walking into the room behind his mom.

"Mom, you don't have to embarrass me as soon as you meet her," Paul grunted and moved to kiss Melanie's forehead in greeting. Nancy grinned at the two and moved them into the kitchen.

"I was thinking of things we could make for lunch. Melanie do you like seafood?" Nancy asked as she opened her fridge.

"Absolutely! I'll eat anything," Melanie told her.

"Paulie. Keep her. This is wonderful; I just got some shrimp from the market and there's this pasta dish I've been meaning to try out," Nancy said happily.

"It sounds great mom. I'm going to steal Melanie for a minute and then we'll come in and help you," He told her quickly, but Nancy was already shooing them out of the room. Paul took Melanie back into the living room and sat down with her.

"Are you okay?" He finally asked. Melanie shook her head, feeling her emotions coming back full force. A lump formed in her throat and made talking difficult. Paul pulled her into his arms and rubbed soothing circles into her back.

"I didn't want to be mean to him, but he just wasn't listening. He made me so mad, and I lost my temper; I said horrible things to him." Paul listened quietly while Melanie relayed everything that was said.

"It'll be okay, Mel. Siblings fight all the time, it comes with the territory. You two will have made up by tomorrow," He said, trying to cheer her back up. Melanie nodded and leaned into his hold. "Feeling better?" He asked after a few minutes.

Melanie cracked a smile and moved away. "Yes, thank you. Let's go help your mom," She said, pecking his lips and moving back to the kitchen where Nancy was boiling the water.

"Oh goodie, you're back. Paulie, start peeling and deveining the shrimp for me. Melanie can you help me chop these while I start on the sauce?" They quickly got to work and chatted while they cooked.

"The University of Washington? That's lovely. What will you be studying?"

"Graphic design, I want to help design ad campaigns and stuff like that," Melanie explained and moved to put the chopped mushrooms and tomatoes in with the sauce Nancy made.

"I wish I was artistic, but I lack the attention to small details. I also can't draw to save my life," Nancy shrugged and looked at Paul.

"Paul is wanting to open his own shop. I'm just waiting to hear when this is happening," Nancy said and raised an eyebrow at her son. Paul groaned and held his hands up.

"I'm getting there; I'm working extra hours to save up some more money. Max, my boss, is helping me look into different properties. He told me if I didn't find anything that I could take over his shop because he's ready to retire and move somewhere sunny," Paul explained.

"You didn't tell me that; that sounds like a great opportunity," Melanie said taking the now cooked shrimp off the stove and adding them to the mix.

"I think so too, but I don't know when he's planning on retiring. It could still be a few more years."

"Well it will be a good back up plan then," Nancy said and had them all sit down at the table with the food.

"So are you wanting kids, Melanie?" Nancy asked as they started eating. Paul nearly choked and Melanie patted his back while laughing. "Mom! It's way too soon to ask that-"

"It's okay, Paul. And yes I want kids. Lots of kids. The more the merrier," Melanie told her. Nancy smiled brightly, "Splendid. I'm ready to have little grandbabies running around my house." Paul groaned and let his head drop. When the doorbell rang, he was more than willing to get up and answer it.

"Jake," Paul was surprised to see his pack mate standing on his door step. He was even more surprised that he didn't look like he still wanted to strangle Paul.

"Is my sister here?" He asked softly.

"Yeah. Mel, it's Jake," Paul called into the house. Melanie excused herself from the table and joined Paul at the door.

"What are you doing here, Jake?" Melanie asked, grabbing Paul's hand for support. He squeezed it gently in reassurance while they waited for Jacob to explain himself. Her brother sighed and ruffled his short hair; he'd need a haircut soon because he left parts of it standing straight up.

"I came to apologize for how I acted. I was a dick to you and you're right; I need to give you two space."

"What?" Melanie asked in disbelief.

"I said you're right. You two are imprints, and I shouldn't be putting myself in between you two even if you are my sister and the thought of Paul touching you makes me cringe."

Melanie smiled and let go of Paul to throw her arms around Jacob's neck. Jacob returned the embrace tightly, holding onto his older sister.

"Thank you for coming here," She whispered and pulled away. Paul took her hand again and smiled at Jacob. If Melanie was happy then so was he; seeing her upset earlier nearly crushed him.

"I said she was right about being your imprint, but I swear, if you ever break her heart or make her cry, I won't hesitate to kick your ass," Jacob warned him. Paul just nodded and kissed Melanie's cheek, making Jacob groan.

"Just keep things PG around me, okay? I'm going to go home before I end up puking," He grumbled. Melanie hugged him one more time before he left.

"I think we just got his approval," Paul said quietly, wrapping his arms around her waist.

"You also have my approval if you want to start working on those grandbabies!"

"Mother!"

* * *

 **A/N: I'm trying to update faster so you guys don't wait too long in between chapters. I just lose track of time so easily with work! This was a longer chapter; let me know what you think in the review section. The next chapters will have more drama and action! Be ready (:**


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: I don't know how many of you check my actual profile, but my laptop died on me. I lost everything including all the progress I made on rewriting this story and my other ones. I was very tempted to say screw it all and quit doing it, but I made myself sit down and try to remember what I'd written before. So sorry for the late post; I'm still trying to get my life back in order after that. Please enjoy this latest update. I really despise Bella, can you tell?**

* * *

A light breeze shook the tree branches softly, creating a rustling echo in the woods around them. Melanie snuggled deeper into Paul's side and closed her eyes, enjoying the peace and quiet.

Paul had the afternoon off from patrolling so they were trying to make the most of it and spend much needed time together. Ever since the fight and make up with Jacob, the pack seemed to be on their toes around the couple, not wanting to cause any more tension. But it seemed with their continued silence it was unintentionally making things even more awkward.

"Do you think the guys will get over this soon?" Melanie mumbled into his rib cage. Paul chuckled and shook his head, watching the dancing sunlight that peeked through the tree tops.

"It'll be a while. I pictured you butt ass naked. They probably won't be able to even look you in the eyes for a few more weeks." Melanie slapped his chest and sat up.

"If you can't control your thoughts while you're phased then you won't be seeing me butt ass naked anytime soon!" Melanie growled. Paul laughed and yanked her back down on top of him.

"Baby, stop pouting. I already groveled last night. I won't be so careless in the future," He promised and kissed the crown of her forehead.

"You better," Melanie mumbled and turned her head to the side, listening to the thumping of Paul's heart. He pissed her off, but she still loved him. Fuck ups and all.

"I probably need to get on birth control though," Melanie said as an after thought. Paul tensed a little and relaxed again. The sudden thought of Melanie pregnant with his child made his heart race. He hadn't thought about kids before her; never really thinking he'd become a dad. But just the possibility of it happening with Melanie made him giddy.

"Don't tell my mom that; you'll make her cry," Paul joked. Melanie smiled and propped her head up on his chest.

"She'll cry that I don't want to be a teen mom?"

"Yes. She's dead set on grandkids soon." Melanie laughed and shook her head.

"One day we will, but not today." Melanie paused and looked at Paul. "We will one day, right? You never said anything when your mom was messing around with us."

"Of course," Paul said, tucking her wind jostled hair behind her ear. "I would give you the world if I could."

"I don't need the world, Paul. I just need you." Paul tightened his arm that was draped across her back and quickly rolled them so she was pinned under his larger body. When she says stuff like that, he has a hard time controlling himself around her.

"You're too good for me," He confessed, his lips ghosting over hers. Melanie didn't get a chance to reply with Paul stealing her breath away with a kiss. Sliding his hand down her thigh, Paul reached up under the hem of her sundress and grabbed the side of her upper leg. Bringing it up to wrap around his waist, Paul brought the two closer, pressing his hardening member against her.

"Paul," She gasped, pulling away from his searing kiss. "We're in the middle of the woods; what if someone sees us?"

"No one is around; I would hear them," He mumbled, lips latching on to the sensitive skin of her neck, sending chills racing down her spine. "Relax, Baby, let me take care of you."

Melanie drew a shaky breath and forced herself to loosen up in Paul's arms, trusting him to not let anything happen. The last thing she needed was a pack member catching another eyeful of them together.

Paul kissed her again, one hand cupped the back of her head to keep her in place. The other hand left her thigh to inch under her panties, his fingers seeking her out.

"Fuck, Baby, you're so wet," Paul growled against her lips, moving to trail kisses along her jawline while slowly stroking her warm folds.

"God, Paul, you don't have to announce it-" Melanie complained and quickly stopped when she felt Paul press against her clit with the pads of his fingers, rubbing it in firm, small circles. Pleasure coursed through her body, her thighs already shaking from it.

Melanie reached up for his shoulders and dragged him back down to her, claiming his lips and tugging on his short hair. Paul groaned and increased his efforts, his fingers moving fervently over her small, bundle of nerves.

Melanie's heart was pounding like it was trying to escape from her rib cage. She wasn't new to sex, but with Paul it felt completely different. All her senses were heightened and just his touch was sending her into a haze of pleasure. Tingles were starting in her fingers and toes and threatening to invade the rest of her limbs.

Paul pulled away from her lips and moved down to her dress clad breasts. Melanie sucked in a few deeps breaths, waiting to see what Paul did next. Pressing firmer against her clit, he bit down on a nipple through her dress and felt her body jerk up against him.

"Paul!" Melanie cried, her body tensing up before her orgasm washed over her. Paul continued to lazily stroke her through it, his eyes watching all of her movements, memorizing exactly what she looks like in a moment of passion.

Finally, she reached down to grab his wrist and pushed his hand away, feeling oversensitized to his touch. Paul wiped his hand on his pants and tucked his face into her neck, breathing in her scent.

The warm summer breeze blew over them as they laid there silently. Melanie smiled up at Paul and kissed his cheek. She began to reach down to unbutton his pants, but they froze when a frantic howl filled the air.

Paul, on high alert, lifted his head and focused on something in the distance. There were two more cries from the pack. Paul grabbed his phone from his back pocket and saw a message from Embry.

 _Come to Sam's. ASAP._

"Mel, we have to go. Something's wrong; I'm being called to Sam's." Melanie nodded and fixed her dress. She quickly grabbed her bag from beside her and stood up with Paul's help. He led her through the maze of trees to Sam's small house.

"Did they say what was wrong?" Melanie asked, her stomach feeling like lead.

"No, but that howl that you heard wasn't like our usual ones. That was a cry for the pack to come together because there's a problem. Embry just said to get to Paul's. I'm sure we'll find out when we get there."

Paul cursed his luck. He finally had alone time with Melanie and something goes wrong. His raging hard on was long gone though from the worry he felt for his pack. He was pretty sure it was Jacob who let out that first howl, and he wanted to know why they were being brought together in the middle of the afternoon.

Sam's house came in view and Melanie squeezed his hand tighter. Paul could hear her heart racing, just as worried as he was.

"Mel, whatever this is, I got you." Melanie looked up at him and smiled.

"I know you do. I got you too, Paul." With that, Paul opened Sam's back door and let themselves in. Immediately he was overwhelmed with the smell of leeches. It had his wolf's hackles rising and a growl was bubbling in his throat.

"Bella, what're you doing here?" Melanie asked, holding onto Paul's forearm. Her voice cut through to his senses and Paul looked around. There weren't any leeches in Sam's home, but Bella reeked of them.

The rest of the pack was crammed into Sam's kitchen and dining room, silent and waiting to see their reactions to the not so welcome guest.

"I came to talk to the pack on behalf of the Cullen's," Bella answered. Melanie took in her words and looked to Jacob. He looked nervous, his eyes darting back and forth between Bella and his sister. Melanie reached out a hand to him and he quickly made his way over to her and Paul.

"Jake, what happened?" She asked softly. Paul leaned in, wanting to hear why Jacob was the first to call the pack.

"Bella came to the house again saying that the red headed vampire was back in the area. The Cullens were worried that she might target Bella or the pack to raise tension between us." Paul immediately started growling.

"By target the pack, you mean…"

"The imprints, Paul. She would most likely go after the imprints," Sam confirmed his fears. Without thinking, Paul pulled Melanie deeper into his arms.

"How do we know that she's even telling the truth?" Jared asking, thinking about Kim's safety.

"Alice had a vision of Victoria around Forks. She can't see the pack in her visions so parts of it go black. We can only assume that means the you all get involved too," Bella quickly elaborated.

"Did she say when this vision would take place?" Sam asked in full alpha mode.

"Alice thinks the timeline may be a couple of months from now. So there's still time to plan something-"

"Thank you for letting us know about this Bella, but we won't be planning anything with you or your coven," Sam cut her off. Bella's mouth fell open, "What do you mean? If we work together, we can come up with a way to get rid of her!"

Sam shook his head and looked at his pack. "The more we get involved with the leeches, the more trouble we have here. We will look after our own and you should do the same."

Melanie looked over to see Jacob's conflicted face. She knew he still actually cared about Bella no matter what she told her before, and he didn't like the idea of leaving the vampires to protect her.

"Could you at least just agree to meet with Carlisle on neutral grounds so he can talk to you?"

"Talking to the doctor will not change my mind on this-"

"Sam," Emily's soft voice filled the room for the first time and turned the alpha's head, "Surely it wouldn't hurt to hear Carlisle out." Bella smiled widely at Emily, but she just focused on her mate and watched as he took in her words. Sighing, Sam turned back to Bella.

"Tell Carlisle we can meet tonight in the clearing near Black Bear Creek. It's neutral enough ground not to break the treaty," Sam told her. Bella thanked him and ran out of the house. The pack broke out into several different conversations at once; Melanie tried to pick up what they were saying, but Paul pulled her aside into the living room.

He held her close to his chest.

"Paul?"

"I don't know how this is going to play out, Black. And it's scaring the shit out of me."

Melanie wrapped her arms around his waist and rested her cheek against his chest.

"We will be fine. Come here; I have something for you," Melanie told him and made him sit down on the couch next to her. She reached into her bag and pulled out a small box. Paul eyed it carefully, trying to figure out what was inside.

"A lot happened during our first month together, and this was supposed to be for our one month anniversary. But you're getting it now because we missed that a while back," Melanie laughed and handed him the box.

Paul lightly fingered it and looked back at his girlfriend almost sheepishly. "I uh didn't know that was a thing. I didn't get you anything," He mumbled. Melanie could see the guilt on his face and kissed his cheek.

"It's not really a thing, but I wanted a reason to get you something. I didn't expect anything in return. Open it!" Paul smiled and opened the box.

"Consider it a good luck charm. Even when you phase, it should stay on so a piece of me will always be with you." Paul carefully touched the two wolves on the leather bracelet and broke out a shit eating grin.

"I love it, Babe. Thank you." Paul kissed her sweetly and handed her the bracelet so she could help him tie it on.

"I'm glad you like it. So now you can't get mad at me when I tell you that I got a part time job in Forks."


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: Well it's been a pretty long time. I'm still upset about my laptop killing over and losing all my previous progress. Thank you again to everyone who has taken the time to review my works and send me private messages. It makes my day to read what you guys have to say. Please enjoy the latest chapter.**

* * *

 _"You're not getting a job in Forks," Paul growled, lowly. Some of the guys peeked their heads into the living room to see what was going on but quickly gave the couple their space._

 _"I already got a job, Paul. And I got it before all this happened; it's just at Flo's Diner."_

 _Paul started pacing Sam's living room, shaking his head. "I don't like this at all, Mel. That red headed bitch is back, and you might be a target. I don't want you going into Forks by yourself."_

 _Melanie grabbed Paul's arm to stop him from wearing down the carpet and forced him to look at her. "That's why we need to hear what Carlisle has to say. If I'm in Forks, I'm sure he would make sure nothing happens to me-"_

 _"No, it's not happening, Mel. Besides, you don't need a job; I can get you whatever you want."_

 _"Paul, I have to pay for school. I need a job, and I'm not asking for your permission. This is a relationship, not a dictatorship. You don't get to boss me around or keep me locked at home because your wolf is getting his panties in a twist," Melanie snapped. Paul narrowed his eyes, looking down at her, but he wisely kept his mouth shut._

* * *

"Are you going to ignore me all night?" Melanie asked her boyfriend as they walked to the designated meeting place. Paul kept his eyes straight ahead, senses on high alert.

"I don't have anything to say. You've clearly made up your mind, and you plan on doing whatever you want even if I don't like it." Melanie held back her eye roll and stopped walking. Paul went ahead a few more steps before he stopped and turned to face her.

"What do you want me to say?" He asked her, throwing his hands ups.

"I want you to support me! Why is it so hard for you to do that?"

"Maybe because I'm more worried about a vampire killing you to get at the pack and Cullens. I can't protect you if you're that far away from me!" Melanie looked up at her distressed lover and reached out for him. Paul huffed but gathered her into his arms all the same.

"Paul, let's come up with a plan then. I can make more money waiting tables in Forks than I can anywhere on the reservation, and I need the money. My dad won't be able to help me with any of the costs for school." Paul finally nodded and kissed the crown of her forehead, lettings his lips rest there.

"I understand, but I'm not going to be happy about it." Melanie snorted a soft laugh and squeezed his waist one more time before letting go. Grabbing his hand, she tugged him to start walking. "We don't want to be late."

Paul took the lead and set them in the direction of the creek. They walked for a few minutes and came to an opening in the trees. Most of the pack was already there along with the Cullen Coven. Bella was there as well, hanging onto Edward per usual. Paul counted heads and saw they were only missing Seth and Leah. He led Melanie over to Sam and Emily, briefly nodding at the former. The brother and sister got there shortly after they did, and Carlisle took that as a sign to start their meeting.

"Sam, thank you for coming and hearing my family and me out." Sam nodded at the coven leader and let him continue. Paul pulled Melanie deeper into his arms and listened to what the blonde vampire had to say.

"My daughter, Alice, had a vision this morning about Victoria returning to Forks to seek out revenge with several newborn vampires. Some of the vision is missing because she is still deciding what to do, but there are also blanks in her vision which indicate that your pack will get involved." Sam walked a little closer to Carlisle, deep in thought.

"So our pack can't be seen at all in the visions? What about our imprints?" He asked, eyes searching for Alice. She stepped up next to Carlisle and nodded.

"I can't see any of the shapeshifters, but I can see the imprints. Are these all of the girls?" Alice asked, looking at each imprint.

"Yes, we brought them along so that you would be able to recognize them if you saw them. There is another imprint, a young child named Claire, who couldn't be here for obvious reasons," Sam explained, and Quil visibly tensed at the mention of his imprint.

"You prey on children?" Rosalie sneered from the back. Emmett made eye contact with Melanie and tried to get Rosalie to quiet down, but she brushed him off. Quil let out a growl, but Sam held up a hand to silence him. He met Rosalie's eyes before replying, "We become whatever our imprints want us to be. Quil acts as an older brother for Claire, nothing more. If she grows up and decides she wants a different relationship then so be it. But do not accuse us of something like that when you don't know the details of our pack."

Melanie wanted to applaud Sam for his tasteful reply to the woman she assumed was Emmett's wife. Alice smiled and tried to ease the tension that had formed between the two groups.

"Of course! None of the imprints have been harmed in the visions that I can see. As for the blank areas where the pack comes in, I can't say for sure," Alice explained, drawing Sam's attention back to her. Alice, however, turned to Melanie and brought up a slim finger to point at her. "She is in many of my visions though."

Paul snarled and tucked Melanie into his side, bringing her as close to him as he could. Melanie relaxed in his hold, letting his instincts guide him. She saw Jacob take a few steps closer to her as well, not sure if he realized what he did.

"What do you mean?" Paul snapped at the pixie like vampire. Alice blinked owlishly and explained.

"She's in Forks a lot so it's easier for me to see her when the pack isn't around her. She has a job in Forks, right? At the diner?" Paul glanced down at Melanie and nodded at Alice.

"But it's interesting because some of my family members usually pop up when she's working to check on her. I can only assume because we make some kind of truce-"

"Ah, Alice beat me to it, but yes. We would like to offer a truce until Victoria has been dealt with. We can look out for your imprints if they are on our side of the border and likewise if Bella is close to you all," Carlisle offered. Sam looked back at his pack, mainly to where Paul had a death grip on Melanie and sighed.

"Would this truce also involve my pack aiding in any kind of fight with the vampire?"

"We would appreciate it if it did," Carlisle said, amicably. Sam nodded and agreed to Carlisle's truce. "But this only lasts until Victoria is gone. After that, our treaty is back in place," Sam warned.

"We wouldn't have it any other way. Another one of my sons, Jasper, has military background and experience fighting newborn vampires. He's going to help my family train, and I wanted to extend the offer to your pack as well. Newborn vampires are much different than ones as old as we are."

Melanie watched the two alpha males come to an agreement about training. She snuggled further into Paul's warm arms and let her eyes wander across the coven; she's only had a chance to see a few of them. Bella's eyes were darting back and forth between the groups, and she leaned up to whisper something to Edward. Melanie held back her look of disgust and moved on to Alice. She had kind eyes and seemed happy to be pairing up with the pack. The male beside her, she guessed was Jasper, stood still like a tower of support. She figured they were also coupled up like the rest of the siblings.

A woman stood on the other side of Carlisle, Esme, his wife. That left Emmett and Rosalie. Melanie looked over and locked eyes with Emmett. He was staring straight at her and Paul to the point where Melanie shifted in discomfort. Sure, they'd come to a new understanding, but he was still enemy number one in Paul's eyes. Unless you counted the new threat of Victoria.

Rosalie followed Emmett's line of sight and glared at Melanie. A pale hand reached over and grabbed one of Emmett's biceps harshly, forcing him to look down at her angry eyes. He muttered something to her, but Melanie's hearing wasn't strong enough to pick up anything. She noticed Edward's eyes dart over to the couple before settling back on Carlisle and Sam.

Paul nudged Melanie and brought her out of her stupor. "Hey, we can go. They've figured everything out," Paul mumbled in her ear. Melanie nodded and extracted herself from his steely hold. They made to leave, but a voice stopped them.

"Melanie! Wait up!" Paul's metaphorical hackles rose when Emmett got closer to them. Melanie quickly held his hand to calm him down and waited to see what Emmett wanted.

"What do you want?" Paul growled, eyeing the vampire in front of them. The rest of their groups warily eyed them, but they were slowly dispersing. Sam stuck around along with most of Emmett's coven.

"Paul, I know we've had out differences, but I wanted to let you know that I won't let anything happen to Melanie while she's in Forks."

"Unless it's you that hurts her," Paul was quick to reply. Emmett had the decency to look ashamed.

"Look, I shouldn't have made that comment before about how she smelled. That was out of line, but contrary to what you may believe, I do have self control. I wouldn't do anything to hurt her. You have my word," Emmett told Paul, trying to get through to him, Melanie could see that he was still having a hard time believing him though so she stepped in.

"Thank you for your help, Emmett. It's good to know I'll have friends over there," She said softly. Rosalie snorted behind them, but Emmett smiled brightly down at her. He finally waved goodbye to them and went to rejoin his family.

"Friends?" Paul questioned as he led her out of the clearing.

"It seemed like the appropriate thing to say. He was offering his help, and I am grateful that they're so willing to look out for me."

"Hm, I still don't like the thought of him being around you. He may have self control, but he already said that he likes the way you smell. That could be a death sentence for some people. It'd be better if you smelled like me," Paul grumbled.

"Like you?"

"Apparently we smell like wet dog to the leeches, and they hate being close enough to smell us." Melanie vaguely remembered Emmett making a dog comment to Paul at the hospital, and she couldn't help but laugh at him.

"So I smell good enough to eat to Emmett, what do I smell like to you?" Paul brushed off her good enough to eat comment and stopped to look her in the eyes.

"Like my entire world." Melanie slapped his arm. "I'm being serious, Paul."

"I am being serious! It's hard to put a name to what you smell like. To me you smell like comfort, like if I'm with you everything will be okay." Melanie's heart thudded in her chest at his words. She tried to swallow the lump in her throat.

"What does comfort smell like?"

"The closest thing I can think of is strawberries and sunshine. It's just... You."


End file.
